10 June 2026
(PHOTO: vppdr.gp.gov.ua)
Despite martial law and controls on mobilization, schemes to "resolve" issues related to military service in the rear continue to operate in Odesa. One such attempt was thwarted by law enforcement officers, who detained a woman who was profiting from a person liable for military service who wanted to avoid being sent to the combat zone.
This was reported by the press service of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office of the Southern Region.
A 54-year-old woman suspected of extortion and receiving illegal benefits for influencing military officials was apprehended in Odesa.
According to the investigation, in March 2026, the woman offered a person liable for military service to “resolve” issues related to mobilization. In exchange for $5,000, she promised to influence officials of one of the Air Force units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine so that the man would be assigned to rear-area service without being sent to the combat zone.
In addition, the suspect claimed that she was able to arrange for the necessary conscription documents, facilitate the military medical examination, and influence officials at one of the district military registration and enlistment offices and joint military units in Odesa. According to her, this was supposed to help remove a person liable for military service from the wanted list for violating military registration rules.
The woman explained her ability to do so by citing allegedly established connections among representatives of state bodies, military commissariats, and military units. Investigators found that she repeatedly insisted on receiving the money and insisted that she would act only after receiving the entire agreed-upon amount. In case of refusal, she threatened negative consequences.
Law enforcement officers detained the suspect immediately after she received $5,000 from the conscript. According to the press service, at the time of the investigation, an indictment against the woman on charges of fraud and forgery was already pending in court.
The court remanded the woman in custody with an alternative of bail set at UAH 998,000. The bail was paid. If found guilty, she faces up to eight years in prison with confiscation of property.
Also in Odesa, three participants in a draft evasion scheme were convicted of issuing fictitious medical documents for money and influencing the decisions of the military medical commission. In addition, they sold fake draft notices that allowed persons liable for military service to move freely around the country.
Анна Бальчінос