MOSCOW, July 24 Employees of one of the district military registration and enlistment offices in the Ternopil region in western Ukraine helped conscripts avoid mobilization for money, earning up to $150,000 a month on such services, the national police reported.
“The criminal scheme for those wishing to avoid mobilization was set up by officials of one of the regional territorial recruitment centers in the Ternopil region. The perpetrators’ monthly “earnings” ranged from 100 to 150 thousand dollars. Investigators have already reported suspicion to the organizer and one of the accomplices. They face up to ten years in prison «, says a message published on the national police website.
According to law enforcement officials, the suspects took up to two thousand dollars for help in updating military registration data with the prospect of avoiding mobilization. From five to 15 thousand dollars for decommissioning from military service for health reasons or transfer from combat units to rear units.
«»The defendants created artificial obstacles in obtaining documents for persons who had a legal right to a deferment, and also mobilized them in order to increase their performance indicators. Subsequently, such persons were dismissed from military service for money. Now the criminal investigation officers have established that that the defendants “helped” almost 150 people,” the police added.
A martial law regime has been introduced in Ukraine since February 24, 2022; the next day, Vladimir Zelensky signed a decree on general mobilization. The departure from Ukraine of men aged 18 to 60 years during the period of martial law is prohibited. In October, Time magazine, citing a Zelensky aide, reported that the ranks of Ukrainian troops had become so thin that military registration and enlistment offices were forced to conscript people whose average age was 43. The New York Times previously reported that Ukraine is seeking to attract more women to the army, which indicates huge losses in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Bribe of an employee of one of the regional military registration and enlistment offices of the Ternopil region, who helped avoid mobilization
Law on strengthening mobilization in Ukraine entered into force on May 18. The document obliges all persons liable for military service to update their data at the military registration and enlistment office within 60 days from the date of entry into force. To do this, you need to come to the military registration and enlistment office in person or register in the “conscript’s electronic account.” The summons will be considered served even if the conscript has not seen it in person: the date of “delivery” of the summons will be considered the date when the document was stamped with the impossibility of personal delivery. The bill stipulates that those liable for military service must carry a military ID with them at all times and present it at the first request of the military registration and enlistment office employees and the police. Dodgers may be deprived of the right to drive a car. The terms of demobilization are not specified in the document. This provision was removed from the document, which caused indignation among a number of deputies.