While high-ranking officials announce plans to reform the Territorial Recruitment Center and intensify mobilization in 2026, the media is seeing a growing wave of exposés revealing various schemes to evade mobilization: from illegal border crossings to the issuance of fake disability certificates.
However, the most striking scheme in terms of its scale may turn out to be the practice of fictitiously employing conscripts at critical enterprises, followed by their subsequent deferment. In other words, a mechanism created to preserve vital sectors of the economy and retain specialists has been turned into a corrupt “feeding trough,” a lifeline for those “chosen” and “useful” to the authorities.
One such high-profile scandal involves the “reservation” of the hosts of the YouTube channel “Iceland,” Serhiy Ivanov and Volodymyr Petrov, whom the media referred to as propagandists for the Presidential Administration. Those fictitiously “reserved” could live their “better life,” move about freely, and most importantly—accuse those “unacceptable” to the authorities of evasion and “harass” businesses.
“Justice ends where VIP reservations for ‘court political strategists of the authorities’ begin,” commented People’s Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak on the story involving Ivanov and Petrov. In a recent online broadcast, he analyzed in detail the scope of this scheme and the role of government officials in it.
How does the “business” of fictitious conscription involving government agencies, enterprises, and law enforcement operate? Why, in five years, have the authorities failed to close this corruption loophole? How quickly did Petrov manage to “rebook” himself, and how did Ivanov settle into his new military role after the scandal involving fictitious armor? And for what “merits” did they receive special protection? Read more in the UA.News review.
The Market for Fictitious Reservations Without Punishment
In recent years, journalistic investigations have uncovered dozens of cases of fictitious military service in various regions and sectors: from utility workers and railway employees to teachers and journalists. Among the most well-known: registering conscripts at Kyiv utility companies to obtain draft deferrals; fictitious employment at the National Circus Company to travel abroad under the guise of artists and journalists; and registering the alleged owners of anonymous Telegram channels with millions of subscribers with the SBU.
The exposure of these schemes is, in itself, no longer news. What matters is the response of law enforcement and the courts—or, more precisely, the lack of appropriate convictions against corrupt officials who are effectively derailing mobilization while simultaneously harming the economy.
Data from the Unified State Register of Court Decisions, analyzed by “Economic Truth,” attests to the significant scale of this phenomenon. Statistics show that since September 2024, the register has recorded over 1,150 criminal cases involving fictitious employment. In 292 cases, legal entities and officials who sold such “services” were identified. Nearly half of these cases involve state-owned or municipal enterprises, or joint-stock companies with state ownership. The outcomes of these court cases are telling.
“Among the selected cases, 45 resulted in verdicts. All were guilty verdicts, but none of the convicted left the courtroom in handcuffs. Twenty-one received suspended sentences or restricted freedom with a probationary period; the rest received non-custodial sentences: fines or community service,” the article states.
Thus, these schemes not only help corrupt officials enrich themselves but also siphon money from the budget—funds that go not to the military but to pay fictitious employees of critical enterprises.
“The state is losing trust in the mobilization process and, consequently, cannot fill these positions with people who would actually be of any use. And it is obvious that this scheme drains money from either the state or the municipal budget, simply to pay salaries to these ‘dead souls,’” commented MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak on the statistics.
The fake reservations of Serhiy Ivanov and Volodymyr Petrov
The lack of accountability on the part of state agencies for fictitious bookings was demonstrated by a story that caused a stir in the Ukrainian media a few months ago. We are talking about “shadowy political strategists” and hosts of the YouTube channel “Iceland,” Sergei Ivanov and Vladimir Petrov. The media described them as informal PR agents for former Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak and media hitmen who carried out “dirty” work in the interests of the Presidential Administration.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that both propagandists had secured exemptions from mobilization through fictitious employment:
Petrov was registered as a clerk at the National Military Memorial Cemetery, a state institution.
Ivanova was listed as an electrician at a critical-status enterprise that worked on government tenders.
After the fictitious exemptions were exposed, the leadership of none of the involved state institutions faced consequences, while the “stars” of the media landscape instantly moved on to new promising positions.
In March, Volodymyr Petrov received a repeat booking at the private “Korysne TV” television and radio company, which allegedly produces content for the telethon, although in reality its portfolio consists only of materials on gardening. However, the Ministry of Culture granted “Korysne TV” “critical” status, noted Yaroslav Zheleznyak. According to him, the beneficiaries of this company include Serhiy Sozanovsky—a longtime acquaintance of Yermak who allegedly represented the interests of the Office of the President at “Inter.”
At the same time, Serhiy Ivanov stated that he had been mobilized, joined one of the Armed Forces of Ukraine units, and began posting “correct” messages about military service on social media.
“That same former propagandist—and I suppose he can still be called that—Serhiy Ivanov, who just recently was hiding from mobilization behind a fake job at one of Energoatom’s contractors, while his partner was similarly ‘reserved’ at the National Military Cemetery… He talks about how mobilization is very important and all that. “You might even agree with some of his points if you didn’t know the whole story we uncovered in our investigations, which is what led to him being fired from that fake job,” says MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, recalling the story of propagandist Ivanov.
The “hard-earned money” of media killers
After being rehired by “Korysne TV,” Volodymyr Petrov, along with the recently mobilized Serhiy Ivanov, continues to stream on the YouTube channel “Iceland.”
For example, Petrov provocatively promotes various claims about the Ukrainian government’s successes and its commitment to democratic values.
“Enemies of the state are not in the context of Stalinist repressions. But those who, despite the war, are now trying to capitalize on people’s dissatisfaction to gain popularity now and then seize power—they are completely safe. The Ukrainian government does not prosecute—let alone deal with outside the law—various criminals, outright pests… Yes, this is unfair. Yes, I don’t like it. But it’s not up to me to decide. And I want to tell you, if I were the one deciding, it would lead to negative consequences. Because I would be pushing toward dictatorship during the war, and perhaps even beyond… And the fact that our country’s leadership is not pushing toward dictatorship is a great success and a blessing for our country,” Petrov said, praising the actions of the state’s top leadership during one of his streams.
At the same time, the YouTube channel continues to promote “sensational” exposés about the lives of the government’s political opponents, such as the leader of the opposition “European Solidarity” party, Petro Poroshenko, and his wife, Maryna Poroshenko.
The hosts of “Iceland” launch information attacks not only against the “enemies” of the President’s Office but also against their own critics. For example, journalist Dmytro Gordon, who investigated Ivanov and Petrov’s ties to Russian intelligence agencies, is constantly accused of “playing into the Russians’ hands.”
Black political strategists are also known for numerous pseudo-investigations targeting businesses. It is precisely in this format—by manipulating their own judgments and suspicions, masking the lack of facts with baseless accusations and convoluted schemes—that the media hitmen from “Iceland” have found an additional source of income for themselves.
One example of such an information attack was a piece targeting the family of Alona Degrik-Shevtsova, a well-known Ukrainian entrepreneur in the IT and fintech sectors. Interestingly, this pseudo-investigation coincided with the corruption scandal surrounding “Energoatom,” the embezzlement of which was coordinated by Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former business partner, Timur Mindich.
At the time, Ivanov and Petrov not only “bashed” anti-corruption activists in their livestreams but also launched a wave of smear campaigns against the Shevtsov family to divert attention from “Midas.” The pseudo-investigation framed the entrepreneurs as responsible for all the problems with tax revenues flowing into the state budget. Media manipulators also spread hate on social media and anonymous Telegram channels.
Telegram channels coordinated by political strategists are also aimed at discrediting anti-corruption activists, humiliating and criticizing the opposition, and promoting the government. According to MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, the likely owners of these Telegram channels also have fictitious exemptions from various government agencies, including the SBU, and are protected from mobilization.
Read also: New criminal
case opened against political strategist Petrov
Blogger Petrov has stopped traveling around the city after his mobilization exemption was revoked
