A human trafficking ring that smuggled men abroad for $25,000 was uncovered in the Kyiv region
Police in the Kyiv region have apprehended a 46-year-old man who organized a network for illegally smuggling conscripts across the state border. The suspect demanded $25,000 for his “services.”
This was reported by theKyiv Region Police.
The investigation established that the local resident had devised a scheme to help men of draft age leave the country outside of official border crossings. He provided “clients” with instructions and advice and helped them avoid checks at checkpoints.
According to law enforcement, between October 2025 and April 2026, the suspect promised one of the men during phone calls to organize an illegal border crossing. Specifically, he explained methods for unimpeded departure and offered transportation options using specially equipped hiding places in vehicles.
In March 2026, during a face-to-face meeting, he stated that the cost of such “services” was $25,000.
In early April, the man received the agreed-upon amount from the “client,” after which he was detained by law enforcement officers.
Investigators, under the procedural guidance of the Boryspil District Prosecutor’s Office, notified him of his status as a suspect under Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—facilitating the illegal transportation of persons across the state border for financial gain.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
In addition, the Security Service of Ukraine, in cooperation with the State Bureau of Investigation and the National Police, conducted a large-scale special operation, resulting in the blocking of eight new channels for the illegal departure of men abroad and evasion of mobilization. The cost of such “services” reached $25,000 per person.
It should be noted that organizers of schemes for illegally crossing Ukraine’s state border operate not only in border regions but throughout the country and even abroad.
Recently, operatives from the Department of Strategic Investigations dismantled an illegal border-crossing channel organized by a Kyiv resident through fictitious international music tours. The businesswoman submitted lists of band members to the relevant ministry, ostensibly for participation in charity performances in support of Ukraine.
As a reminder, a foreign national will stand trial in Kyiv for selling counterfeit temporary military service certificates to conscripts for $5,500, falsely stating they were unfit for service due to health reasons.
The Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office reported that the head of the psychiatric ward at a Kyiv hospital will face trial in the capital for issuing false diagnoses to draft dodgers in exchange for money.
