In Kharkiv, a city council member is suspected of organizing a scheme to help draft dodgers flee abroad
Law enforcement authorities have notified a member of the Kharkiv City Council that he is under suspicion of organizing the illegal smuggling of men of draft age across Ukraine’s state border.
The official’s accomplice in this criminal enterprise turned out to be a 28-year-old bartender at one of the local entertainment venues.
The issue of selecting a preventive measure for the scheme’s organizer within the framework of current legislation is currently being decided.
According to the investigation, the perpetrators developed a clear and highly secretive plan of action.
As stated by the OGP, “to maintain secrecy, they communicated via the Threema messenger app, where they discussed the details of their services—from preparing fake medical documents and making reservations to organizing illegal travel abroad.”
This secrecy helped them avoid special attention from law enforcement agencies for a long time.
In February 2026, the bartender suggested to his acquaintance that they secretly travel to Romania outside of official border crossings. The entire safe route was to run through Kyiv and the Odesa region directly to the state border.
The operators estimated the total cost of the illegal transfer at $17,000, and planned to receive the final payment via a crypto wallet.
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