SBU Exposes Four Draft Evasion Schemes Selling Rear Military Posts and Fake Documents

Ukraine's SBU, with the State Bureau of Investigation and National Police acting in coordination with Gen. Syrskyi, announced on May 18 the detention of organizers behind four draft evasion schemes across four oblasts 12. In Chernihiv, a unit commander earned nearly 2 million hryvnias moving three conscripts to rear posts; in Zhytomyr, a brigade commander identified by MilitaryLand.net as Col. Serhiy Kostiuk, former commander of the 115th Territorial Defense Brigade, who departed command on May 6 with authority transferred to Volodymyr Boyko, enrolled acquaintances and relatives who never reported for duty and confiscated their salaries, netting 370,000 hryvnias 123. In Khmelnytskyi, a training center deputy commander accepted $5,000 per transfer to rear units; in Lviv, a contract border guard was caught offering military deregistration for $16,000 through Territorial Recruitment Center officials paid to falsely certify men as medically unfit 123. All suspects face up to 10 years in prison, and investigations continue 12.