SBI exposes group of doctors of Odesa Oblast's MSEC in helping persons liable for military service

The State Bureau of Investigation reported the exposure of an organized group of doctors who helped healthy men of military age obtain medical documents that allowed the medical and social expert commission to declare them unfit for service.

According to the SBI, in the spring of 2024, a doctor at the Odesa Regional Clinical Hospital began providing paid services to men who were trying to avoid mobilization. He involved 12 doctors from different institutions of the city, officials of the Odesa Regional Center for Medical and Social Expertise and their relatives who acted as intermediaries in his illegal scheme.

According to the investigation, the doctors made up diagnoses for healthy men and produced the necessary medical documentation to confirm their medical history, even taking MRI scans. Later, the conscripts, with a package of ready-made documents, went to the MSEC, where they were met by trained commission members to be assigned a disability group.

The cost of the services ranged from six to 12 thousand US dollars, depending on the complexity of the diagnosis and the required disability group. So far, 42 conscripts have been identified who have benefited from this scheme. Others are in the process of being identified. SBI officers conducted 28 searches at the suspects' places of work and residence. They seized medical records, over USD 80 thousand in cash and three premium cars.

In addition, during the search of the Center for Medical and Social Expertise, the SBI found and detained two servicemen wanted for unauthorized departure from the military unit and five clients of military age who were wanted for evading military service and trying to obtain a fictitious disability.

The doctor-organizer of the criminal scheme was detained and served with a notice of suspicion of receiving an unlawful benefit by an official. The issue of serving a notice of suspicion to other participants of the scheme is being resolved. The sanction of the article provides for a sentence of up to ten years in prison.

Meanwhile, journalist Iryna Hryb reported that the staff of the regional medical examination board appointed Dr. Mykola Holubenko, who previously headed maternity hospital No. 2 in Odesa, as its new head.

The previous head of the Odesa Regional Center for Medical and Social Expertise, Olena Stanislavova, resigned.

October 22 Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin announces that he is resigning from the post of Prosecutor General of Ukraine due to the facts of abuse in the system of prosecutorial bodies of Ukraine.

The Prosecutor General said that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had held a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council regarding the immoral situation with fake disabilities of government officials.

Кирило Бойко