In Odesa, a criminal scheme to evade mobilization was uncovered, organized under the cover of the public organization “Ukraine – is a Mother”.
This was reported on the website of the Office of the Prosecutor General.
According to the investigation, the head of the NGO, two of his deputies and two other participants acted in collusion with certain officials of the TCC and SP of Odesa region. They agreed that holders of the organization’s IDs would not be called up for mobilization.
According to MOST, the head of the public organization “Ukraine – is a Mother” is Kherson resident Oleksii Lapin.
The scheme had a clear payment system. For 1,000 US dollars men received a membership ID of the NGO, but were obliged to patrol the city together with representatives of the TCC.
For 3,000 dollars they offered a so-called “VIP package” that allowed avoiding being on duty. Separately, services were provided for “removal from the wanted list” through unauthorized interference in information systems and “resolving issues” in case of detention.
All clients were added to a closed Telegram channel where geolocations of TCC posts and instructions on behavior during document checks were published.
The monthly fee for participation in the scheme was 3,000 hryvnias. Those who refused to pay were threatened with mobilization.
The investigation documented the organizers’ real influence over certain TCC officials: during a special operation, persons with NGO IDs were able to avoid mobilization during checks. It was also recorded that 40,000 hryvnias and 3,000 US dollars were received for processing documents and the subsequent distribution of funds among the scheme participants.
According to preliminary estimates, the organizers’ monthly profit could reach 30 million hryvnias. In the Odesa region about 300 people were involved in the organization’s activities, and across Ukraine — up to 1,500.
During the investigation, law enforcement carried out 64 searches. More than 1.6 million hryvnias in various currencies, six firearms, 38 handheld grenade launchers, six cars, dozens of IDs and stamps were seized.
The suspects were notified of suspicion under Articles 114-1, 362 and 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, unauthorized actions with information, and abuse of influence.
The court ordered their pretrial detention without the right to post bail.
Separate searches were also carried out at the TCC and SP of Odesa region. Law enforcement is checking the possible involvement of officials in the operation of the scheme.