Ukraine opened a case on ferrying more than 100 men abroad for $1 mln
Ukraine has exposed an organized group of 15 people, which smuggled more than 100 evaders abroad, earning $1m, the press service of the office of the country's Prosecutor General said on 19 January.
"Exposed a criminal organization that set up a scheme of evasion from mobilization and illegal departure abroad of men of conscription age," - noted in the Telegram-channel.
It is noted that the group included a lawyer, as well as several heads of charitable foundations and employees of military administrations. For a certain sum of money, they arranged for military conscripts to travel abroad under the guise of volunteers.
According to the Prosecutor General's office, the members of the organization since November 2022 transferred abroad more than 100 Ukrainians liable for military duty, while the scheme of desertion was passed off as assistance to the Armed forces of Ukraine (AFU).
It is indicated that two members of the group were detained, and six others were charged under articles on the creation of a criminal organization and illegal transfer of citizens abroad.
Prior to that, on 13 January, an employee of the Mykolaiv regional military enlistment office was detained in Ukraine for money, who helped citizens liable for military service to avoid mobilization. It is reported that the officer and his colleague offered to help the persons liable for military service to avoid mobilization. For a payment of $4-5,000, they promised to influence doctors to forge medical documents with false diagnoses when passing the military medical commission.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (term expired on May 20, 2024) signed the law on tightening mobilization on April 16, 2024. The document lists the categories of citizens who are subject to conscription. It also toughens penalties 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.
