The head of the Children's Services Department in Mykolaiv Oblast is suspected of being involved in a deferral scheme

The head of the Children's Services Department in the Mykolaiv region of Southern Ukraine is suspected of helping people obtain deferrals in exchange for money.

This is stated in a ruling by the Mykolaiv Court of Appeals.

According to investigators, city council officials may have used their connections with employees of the social protection department and doctors to process the documents necessary to obtain deferments from mobilization.

The head of the city council’s Children’s Services Department is implicated in one of the incidents. According to the investigation, in May 2026, he promised to help a servicemember obtain the paperwork to be discharged from service due to the need to care for his mother.

For this assistance, as stated in the case file, the official received $2,500 in two installments. On August 6, he was notified that he was suspected of accepting a bribe in exchange for a promise to influence the decision of another official.

That same day, law enforcement officers conducted a search at the Social Protection Office located at 4 Tsvitokhny Boulevard. They seized citizens’ applications, documents certifying the need for constant care, registration logs, notebooks, cell phones, and a computer system unit.

Investigators believe that these materials may help determine how the documents were processed, who was involved in their preparation, and whether there were any violations during the review of the applications.

The attorney for the three department employees challenged the seizure of the property. The defense argued that the investigation had not proven a connection between the seized items and the criminal proceedings.

However, the appellate court upheld the lower court’s decision and left the seizure of the property unchanged. The judges noted that the documents and electronic devices may contain information important to the investigation.

Ірина Глухова