In Odesa region, law enforcement officers uncovered a large-scale scheme for the illegal departure of conscripted men abroad. The organized group included law enforcement officers, military personnel, and civilian intermediaries. This was reported by the Prosecutor General's Office, writes UNN.
Details
Under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor General's Office, investigators exposed an organized group that operated in Odesa region in 2024–2025. Its members established illegal transportation of men of conscription age across the state border of Ukraine, bypassing official checkpoints.
The investigation established that the route passed through the territory of the unrecognized "Transnistrian Moldovan Republic". The scheme was clearly structured: some participants were engaged in searching for "clients" and recruiting them through special messenger channels, while others organized transportation to the border, provided routes for illegal crossing, and established contacts with accomplices in Moldova.
Everyone who agreed to the illegal departure received a whole "package of services": transportation to the border zone, instructions, means to overcome obstacles, and further escort already on the territory of another state.
The cost of such a "package of services" ranged from 5 thousand US dollars per person. For conscripts, transportation to the border, instructions, means to overcome obstacles, and further escort on the territory of another state were provided.
Currently, several servicemen have been notified of suspicion under articles regarding the organization and attempted illegal transportation of persons across the state border (Part 3 of Article 332, Part 2 of Article 15, Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The court chose a preventive measure for them in the form of bail with additional obligations.
The group's organizer, who is outside Ukraine, has been declared wanted. Prosecutors are preparing a petition for his pre-trial detention.
The investigation is ongoing: the full circle of those involved is being established, including civilian intermediaries and persons who provided routes. New suspicions are expected to be announced and certain episodes reclassified after additional evidence is collected.