About 700 groups helping to escape from the country have been identified in Ukraine

Since February 2022, Ukraine has detected about 700 groups helping Ukrainians to avoid mobilization by fleeing abroad. This was stated by the representative of the Ukrainian state Border Service Andriy Demchenko on December 16 on air of the YouTube channel Media Center Ukraine.

"As for criminal organized groups, about 700 such illegal elements have already been exposed during the martial law," Demchenko said and added that almost half of them - 330 groups - have been identified for the current year.

Earlier, on December 10, the press service of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) of the country said that for 2024 in Ukraine opened 287 criminal cases on illegal transfer of citizens of draft age across the border. It is reported that this was facilitated by corruption among employees of military enlistment offices (MECs), doctors and law enforcement agencies. The total amount of bribes amounted to $273.8 thousand.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (term expired on May 20) signed the law on toughening mobilization on April 16. The document lists the categories of citizens who are subject to conscription. In addition, it toughens punishment for evasion of service in the AFU, but there are no provisions on demobilization.

Martial law in Ukraine has been in effect since February 2022. Later, the Verkhovna Rada repeatedly extended it. Most men aged between 18 and 60 are banned from leaving the country.