Organized desertion for military personnel and awaited the arrival of the "Russian world" – a criminal group detained in Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
Five individuals in Kremenchuk organized the escape of nearly 30 military personnel for rewards of up to $7,000. The participants of the scheme have been detained and are currently in custody.
A criminal group has been exposed and detained in Ukraine for organizing the desertion (AWOL) of military personnel and awaiting the arrival of the "Russian world." The perpetrators sought out relatives of the mobilized and promised to "release" soldiers from service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine for a financial reward. Currently, all participants of the scheme are in custody, UNN reports, citing the National Police.
Details
Operatives identified a group of individuals engaged in obstructing the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine while enriching themselves in the process. The group consisted of five residents of Kremenchuk: three men aged 34, 43, and 55, and a 43-year-old woman. Their actions were coordinated by a 29-year-old organizer.
They offered the relatives of mobilized individuals to "liberate" their family members from the army. The price ranged from $3,000 to $7,000. After receiving consent and an advance payment from the "clients," the suspects found ways to deliver a mobile phone to the mobilized person at the military unit or training center for further communication and coordination of actions.
Then, at night, they would drive a car to the least guarded section of the restricted facility, help the mobilized person climb over the fence, and drive them away, bypassing checkpoints.
It has been established that since September 2024, the accomplices organized the escape of nearly 30 men, earning significant funds. However, money was not the only motive. Police recorded a conversation of one of the suspects—a 34-year-old man who is himself evading military registration. During the conversation, he stated that he is waiting for the arrival of Russia and expressed blatant hatred toward Ukrainians.
As a result of a joint special operation by operatives of the Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police, police from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Poltava region, with the tactical support of special forces and the cooperation of the AFU military leadership, the organizer and all members of the criminal group were detained. During authorized searches at the suspects' residences, law enforcement seized cash, draft records, and vehicles. Police investigators have notified the detainees of suspicion under Part 1 of Art. 114-1 (Obstruction of the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The perpetrators are currently in custody. They face up to 8 years in prison. Procedural oversight in the proceedings is carried out by the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.