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March 30, 2026, 8:02 a.m.
Kherson region exposes scheme of draft evasion through custody
This article also available in English1
ILLUSTRATION: AI
Schemes to evade mobilization through the courts and guardianship authorities are at the center of a criminal investigation in Kherson region. Law enforcement officials suspect that decisions in family cases could be used as a tool to obtain a deferral from service.
This is evidenced by the ruling of the Zavodskyi District Court of Mykolaiv.
Law enforcement officers are investigating a possible scheme to evade mobilization, which could have been carried out through court decisions in family cases. During the investigation, it was found that a scheme was operating in the Kherson region to help men avoid mobilization through the courts. For this purpose, they artificially created or used family cases - divorce, deprivation of parental rights, adoption or determination of the child's place of residence - and sought the necessary decisions.
This is a matter of possible influence on judges, lawyers, and representatives of guardianship authorities and child services. It was through such decisions that individual citizens could receive legal grounds for deferring mobilization.
Within the framework of the proceedings, one of the defendants was identified - a man who had taken custody of an orphaned child and on this basis received a deferral from the draft. The guardianship was formalized in 2022 by a relevant decision of the authorities.
Investigators are currently seeking access to the documents that served as the basis for the guardianship. They believe that these materials may contain important evidence and will help to establish whether the decisions were legal. The court granted temporary access to the relevant documents. In case of non-compliance with the ruling, law enforcement officers may obtain a search warrant.
The court also considered the case of a native of Kherson region, who was accused of evading mobilization and inflicting grievous bodily harm on a military recruiting officer. The incident occurred in the spring of 2024 in a dormitory in Ivanychi district and almost ended in tragedy.
