In the Odesa region, the organizers of a scheme involving fraudulent social benefits have been on trial for seven years
In the Odesa region, a high-profile court case involving the embezzlement of over 10 million hryvnias in public funds through the fraudulent issuance of social assistance to non-existent mothers of large families has been ongoing for seven years.
According to the investigation, local officials, social service employees, and staff of government agencies were involved in the scheme.
According to the criminal case file, between 2016 and 2018, members of an organized criminal group embezzled 10.34 million hryvnias intended for social support of low-income families.
Among those charged in the case are:
- Lyalya Dragomaretska, secretary of the Usativka Village Council;
- Olena Hryhorieva, head of the social protection department of the Usativka Village Council;
- Yulia Kaplunova, former acting head of the Child Welfare Service;
- Olena Velychko, head of the Bilyayivsky Civil Registry Office;
- Anastasia Solovyova, former chief specialist of the Bilyayiv City Council;
- Svitlana Pidmazko, an official at the Odesa Regional State Administration.
According to investigators, the scheme was organized by Polina Rista, who in late 2015 devised a mechanism for obtaining state benefits for so-called “dead souls.”
Law enforcement officials established that the participants in the scheme created documents for non-existent Roma women who allegedly gave birth to children at home, and then prepared the necessary paperwork to receive state assistance.
The fake personal files contained fabricated information about the mothers and children, after which social services assigned them benefits as low-income families.
To receive funds in the names of these fictitious individuals, accounts were opened at a state-owned bank. The investigation claims that one of the bank branch employees regularly withdrew money from these accounts and handed it over to the scheme’s organizers.
An audit traced the flow of funds through all accounts opened for the fictitious aid recipients.
One of the fictitious “mothers” received nearly 268,000 UAH, another—over 166,000 UAH, and yet another—about 154,000 UAH.
In total, 89 personal files were created for non-existent women. Among them were names such as Zemfira Ogly, Maya Ogly, Tamara Ogly, Elsa Ogly, Yanna Mikha, Nonna Rotova, and others.
The scheme was uncovered in October 2018. During searches, law enforcement officers seized:
- 330,850 UAH in cash;
- 76 bank withdrawal slips;
- records of payments received;
- 35 SIM cards;
- cell phones;
- documents for individuals of Roma ethnicity that raised doubts regarding the legality of their issuance.
Documents related to the registration of fictitious childbirth cases were also found at the medical facility.
During the investigation, it was revealed that some employees of the social welfare department had previously brought discrepancies in the documents to the attention of management.
Employees submitted memos regarding potential violations, but instead of conducting audits, management, according to them, exerted pressure and demanded that they not interfere with the processing of payments.
Despite the massive losses, most of the suspects are not in custody.
Polina Rista has been under house arrest since 2020. Similar preventive measures have been imposed on some of the other defendants.
The trial has been repeatedly delayed due to changes in jurisdiction and personnel changes in the courts. The case was transferred between courts in Odesa and Bilyayivka; one judge recused himself, and another retired.
In 2025, following a change in the judge, the trial had to effectively start over in accordance with the requirements of criminal procedural law.
In recent years, hearings have mostly been held remotely.
A significant portion of the hearings is devoted to consolidating separate criminal proceedings against participants in the scheme into a single case.
Thus, one of the largest cases involving the illegal receipt of social assistance in the Odesa region remains unresolved on the merits, and there is still no final verdict in the case concerning the embezzlement of over 10 million UAH in budget funds.
This is evidenced by data from criminal case No. 12019010000000038 under Articles 191 and 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Earlier, the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment against four members of an organized group. According to the investigation, they sold nonexistent vehicles to the army under the guise of volunteer aid and defrauded 11 military personnel. Another member has been placed on the wanted list.
Law enforcement officers dismantled an interregional criminal group that was stealing Ukrainians’ bank details under the guise of providing state aid through the “eDopomoga” platform. At least 20 people fell victim to the scheme, most of whom are internally displaced persons.
