Traffickers from Odessa were recruiting women for marriages to foreigners

In the Odesa region, six people set up a full-fledged business based on sham marriages: they arranged for Ukrainian women to marry foreigners for $100–150, while they themselves made thousands from it.

This was reported by the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

According to investigators, the scheme was organized by two women, aged 40 and 42. They were later joined by five other people.

They charged foreigners for the service. Among the clients were citizens of Moldova, Azerbaijan, and China. The cost of arranging a single sham marriage ranged from $1,500 to $3,000.

<picture></picture>PHOTO: Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office

Initially, the foreigners made an advance payment and submitted their documents. After that, the scheme’s participants sought out Ukrainian women who agreed to a sham marriage.

According to the investigation, the women were paid significantly less—between $100 and $150 for entering into a marriage. The scheme primarily targeted Ukrainian women facing difficult life circumstances, particularly those with alcohol or drug addictions.

After the foreigners arrived in Ukraine, the marriages were registered at the Civil Registry Office. According to investigators, an employee of the office was involved in the scheme and helped process the documents.

After receiving their marriage certificates, the foreigners could apply for temporary or permanent residence permits in Ukraine.

<picture></picture>PHOTO: Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office

From June 2023 to February 2026, law enforcement officials documented 18 cases of Ukrainian women being recruited for such marriages. In total, at least 26 sham marriages were arranged.

Those involved in the scheme are charged with human trafficking, illegally transporting people across the state border, and—in the case of the Civil Registry Office employee—also with receiving unlawful benefits.

The case against one of the organizers has been separated into a separate proceeding. She is currently abroad and has been placed on an international wanted list.

The court imposed pretrial detention as a preventive measure on five of the defendants, with bail set at amounts ranging from nearly 200,000 hryvnias to over 1.6 million hryvnias. Three of them have already posted bail.

Another participant is under nighttime house arrest.

Ірина Глухова