In the Cherkasy region, a military officer demanded $5,000 to influence officials in a case involving the Special Forces

In the Cherkasy region, a member of the Military Law Enforcement Service was notified that he is suspected of receiving an unlawful benefit in exchange for influencing officials. According to investigators, he demanded $5,000 in exchange for helping the soldier avoid liability for deserting his military unit and for arranging for him to serve in the rear.

Investigators established that in September 2026, an acquaintance of the suspect—a servicemember who had deserted his unit—approached him. He sought advice on the legal procedure for returning to duty.

The servicemember was notified of the charges against him under Part 3 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—receiving an unlawful benefit for influencing the decision of an official authorized to perform state functions, combined with extortion.

The pretrial investigation is being conducted with the participation of the Cherkasy Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Defense Affairs of the Central Region and the Territorial Directorate of the State Bureau of Investigation in Kyiv. Operational support was provided by the Security Service of Ukraine’s Directorate for Combating Corruption, with the assistance of the Cherkasy Regional Department of the Military Law Enforcement Service.

In turn, the suspect stated that he had connections among military officials and, for a fee, could influence their decisions to avoid holding the servicemember accountable and to reinstate him to military service in a rear unit in the Cherkasy region.

Specifically, this involved refraining from taking measures to locate him and transfer him to a Military Law Enforcement Service unit, as well as facilitating his continued service in a military unit that does not participate directly in combat operations.

The suspect demanded $5,000 for his “services.”

He emphasized that if the soldier, who had left his post without authorization, refused to hand over the funds, he would be detained and held criminally liable.

Subsequently, the suspect assured the soldier that the matter of his military service in a rear unit was being resolved.

In October 2026, after receiving the first installment of the bribe in the amount of $2,000, the military servicemember was exposed and detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.

He was placed in pretrial detention with the possibility of posting bail.

The penalty under the charged article provides for imprisonment for up to eight years with confiscation of property.

This was reported by the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Defense Affairs of the Central Region.

 The State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) has exposed military personnel who processed discharges from the Special Forces in exchange for bribes.

In the Vinnytsia region, a company commander was notified of suspicion of concealing military service in exchange for bribes.

A court punished a soldier who had been assigned to the reserve twice after being wounded.