In Lviv region, an organised criminal group has been exposed that, for money, arranged fictitious grounds for the discharge of servicemen from military service and for conscripts to evade mobilisation. This was reported under the procedural guidance of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the investigation, since September 2025, seven local residents have been involved in the scheme; they had influence over representatives of medical institutions, military units and territorial recruitment and social support centres. They looked for “clients” among acquaintances and offered them assistance in obtaining fictitious diagnoses, false medical documents, disability status and other documentary grounds for discharge from military service or deferment from conscription during mobilisation.
For such “services” they charged from 7,000 to 20,000 US dollars per person. After the transfer of funds, the organiser determined the required outcome, the way to achieve it and a personal handler for each “client”. The handler oversaw medical examinations and military medical commissions, hospitalisation and tests, obtaining the necessary conclusions, establishing disability status and other actions. In some cases, this also involved arranging departure abroad.
To coordinate their work, the members of the scheme set up an office in a garage in the Yavoriv district, where they checked the status of cases, financial settlements, stages completed and planned further actions. During the investigation, the transfer by a conscript of 18,000 US dollars to one of the members of the scheme was documented, after which this money was distributed among the group. Internal records contained information on more than 60 people who were at various stages of such “expert support”.
Law enforcement officers carried out more than 60 searches in the homes and cars of members of the scheme, as well as of individuals involved in processing the documents. Weapons, eight premium-class cars, rough notes relating to the illegal activity and cash in various currencies totalling the equivalent of more than UAH 5 million were seized.
All seven suspects have been notified that they are under suspicion of creating and participating in a criminal organisation, organising the unlawful transfer of persons across the state border for profit, and abuse of influence (Part 1, 2 of Article 255, Part 3 of Article 332, Part 2, 3 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). At the request of the prosecution, all members of the scheme have been remanded in custody without the right to bail. Other individuals involved in the unlawful activity are being identified.
The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Main Department of the National Police in Lviv region with operational support from the Strategic Investigations Department in Lviv region of the Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine Office in Lviv region. In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, persons are presumed innocent of committing a crime until their guilt is proven in the manner prescribed by law and established by a guilty verdict of a court.