A major in the Special Forces demanded $10,000 to resolve an issue with the Special Forces Command
A major in the Military Law Enforcement Service was detained in Kharkiv on suspicion of accepting a $10,000 bribe from a servicemember who had left his military unit without authorization. According to investigators, the officer promised not to report the man’s whereabouts to law enforcement and not to take any steps to return him to duty.
Initially, the major allegedly demanded between $5,000 and $7,000, but later raised the amount to $10,000. Law enforcement officers detained him while he was receiving the full amount.
According to the investigation, the suspect was a senior officer in the special operations unit of one of the territorial directorates of the Ministry of Defense’s Special Forces. During an official business trip to the Kharkiv Regional Department of the Military Police, he used departmental databases to determine the whereabouts of a servicemember who had left his military unit without authorization.
After that, investigators claim, the officer concealed his true rank and introduced himself as an employee of the TCC and SP. He allegedly threatened the soldier with possible reassignment “to zero” or to a so-called “penal battalion.” At the same time, the major convinced the serviceman that he could influence what would happen to him next.
According to the investigation, the officer initially asked for between 5,000 and 7,000 dollars. Later, the amount rose to 10,000 U.S. dollars. In exchange for this money, he promised not to report the soldier’s whereabouts to law enforcement and not to take any steps to have him returned to duty. As a “guarantee,” the officer took the man’s military ID and pension card.
The servicemember contacted law enforcement
The servicemember did not agree to the officer’s terms and reported the matter to law enforcement. Law enforcement officers documented the major’s subsequent actions. On July 25, 2026, he was detained while receiving 10,000 U.S. dollars.
During searches, law enforcement officers seized the money—which, according to the investigation, constituted an illegal benefit—as well as cell phones, documents, data storage devices, bank cards, and other physical evidence. They also seized a BMW X5, ammunition, and other property.
What the suspect faces
The major was notified of the charges against him under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—receipt of an unlawful benefit by a public official. The court ordered him to be held in pretrial detention. At the same time, the court provided an alternative—posting bail in the amount of 832,000 hryvnias.
The suspect’s property has been seized. However, the final assessment of the officer’s actions must be made by the court. In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a final and binding court verdict. This was reported by .
The SBU has exposed hackers who created a fake “Reserve+” app to evade mobilization.
A pretrial investigation is currently underway to identify all participants in the criminal scheme and bring them to justice. The suspects face up to eight years in prison, according to the SBU.
As a reminder, the SBU, the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR), and the National Police have uncovered 11 additional schemes to evade mobilization in various regions of Ukraine.
