22 August 2026, 14:37
An Odessa security guard was convicted of fraud involving fake chaplain IDs
Ця стаття також доступна українською
ILLUSTRATION: Intent/AI
In Odesa, a security guard employed by a private company was convicted of forging documents that allegedly granted the right to travel abroad under martial law. The court imposed a fine of 84,592 hryvnias.
This is stated in the verdict of the Primorsky District Court of Odessa.
The investigation established that the defendant acted in collusion with his supervisor. Together, they were to prepare a complete “package” of fictitious chaplain documents for a “client”: a chaplain’s ID, a war chaplain’s ID from the NGO “Military Chaplains Corps,” a chaplain’s diploma, and a business trip authorization.
For forging the documents, the accomplices intended to receive $2,500 in installments. According to the convicted man, he was supposed to keep only $170 of that amount for himself. He was supposed to send the rest to his supervisor, but he did not have time to do so because he was detained immediately after handing over the documents.
The court considered the following as mitigating circumstances: his admission of guilt and remorse, his active cooperation with the investigation, his status as a combatant, and a voluntary charitable donation of 10,000 UAH to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Military and civilian chaplains have the right to travel abroad during martial law only under the general conditions established by law for men subject to military service, since the clerical rank or position itself does not grant an automatic right to cross the border.
Earlier in Mykolaiv, a schemeinvolving the illegal departure of men for $7,500 was uncovered. According toinvestigators, the suspect, together with his mother, organized a scheme to illegally smuggle people into Moldova via the so-called “green corridor.” For smuggling one person, they allegedly demanded $7,500, as well as a prepayment of 9,500 hryvnias for fuel, food, and other expenses.
