The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), in coordination with the State Bureau of Investigation, has dismantled a widespread network of corruption involving the illegal transfer of soldiers to rear units and the systematic evasion of military service. According to the official source, the operation exposed four distinct criminal schemes operating across various regions, turning military duty into a profit-driven enterprise for unscrupulous commanders.
The investigation covered several oblasts, including Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, and Lviv. In Chernihiv, a military unit commander was caught red-handed moving combat-ready personnel to rear positions in exchange for bribes totaling nearly 2 million UAH. Such abuses of power directly undermine the integrity of the Armed Forces during wartime.
In the Zhytomyr region, a brigade commander employed a ‘ghost soldier’ scheme: he hired relatives and acquaintances who never appeared on duty or performed any tasks. The commander confiscated their bank cards and misappropriated their entire salary, pocketing 370,000 UAH. Meanwhile, in the Khmelnytskyi region, a deputy commander of a training center allegedly charged $5,000 to facilitate transfers for mobilized soldiers seeking to avoid the front line.
Perhaps the most egregious case was uncovered in the Lviv region, where a border guard soldier attempted to facilitate the total discharge of draft-dodgers for $16,000. By collaborating with local military recruitment center (TCC) officials, the group forged medical documents to certify draft-dodgers as unfit for service.
All suspects involved have been formally notified of criminal charges, including abuse of authority and misappropriation of state property. The suspects face up to ten years in prison. The SBU stated that these investigations are part of a larger ongoing audit of all military units to ensure that such practices are rooted out. While the Ukrainian military continues to hold the line against external aggression, rooting out internal corruption remains a top priority to maintain public trust and operational readiness of the national defense forces.