A scheme for illegally transporting soldiers abroad for a lot of money was uncovered in Dnipro
In Dnipro, law enforcement officers reported suspicions to eight individuals who are considered involved in organizing a scheme to illegally remove servicemen from military units and medical institutions. Among the suspects are a former commander of a military unit, a lawyer, a serviceman, and several civilians.
“Under the procedural guidance of the Dnipro Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in the Field of Defense of the Eastern Region, eight individuals were reported on suspicion of organizing a scheme to facilitate the desertion of servicemen (Part 5 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The suspects include a former commander of a military unit, a lawyer, a serviceman and other civilians.
According to the investigation, the participants in the scheme found military personnel who were ready to voluntarily leave the service, after which they organized their removal from their deployment sites or from medical institutions. The cost of such “services” ranged from $4,000 to $15,000.
The servicemen were transported in civilian cars to the Dnipro, where they hid and did not return to duty. To pass checkpoints, the participants in the scheme used the ID of a fictitious public organization.
The investigation also established that some of the servicemen or their acquaintances first turned to a lawyer for advice on the possibility of avoiding service, after which they received contacts of people who could organize their removal. Others found such intermediaries on their own.
Law enforcement officers documented more than 18 such cases in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Lviv, and Kyiv regions. In February 2026, several servicemen were detained who, according to the investigation, used this scheme – they were also reported on suspicion of desertion.
During the searches, computer equipment, bank cards, documents, draft notes, money, and Lexus LX, Lexus RX, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, and Mercedes-Benz cars were seized from the suspects. All eight suspects have now been taken into custody.
