KYIV (AFP): Ukraine said on Thursday it had detained six people including three army recruitment officials in Kyiv and seized more than $1.2 million as part of a probe into draft evasion. Mobilization is a divisive problem in Ukraine, particularly after a large-scale recruitment drive this year, aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s struggling forces as they fight off Russia’s invasion.
Allegations of corruption are rife. Several scandals have emerged of officials taking bribes in exchange for issuing documents that exempt men from serving in the military. The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) said it had detained three recruitment officials in Kyiv and three civilians who “organized a scheme of illegal evasion of mobilization by persons liable for military service.
” “More than $1.2 million and 45,000 euros in cash were discovered and seized. In addition, 11 luxury cars worth over $100,000 each were seized,” the statement read.
The SBI said the process was coordinated by a civilian who acted as a liaison between the recruitment officials and people seeking to avoid being drafted. The agency said the price to be removed from the call-up list ranged from $2,000 to $15,000 and the scheme may have aided “thousands” eligible for the military to evade service. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week ordered the scrapping of the central body that issues medical disability certificates, and former prosecutor-general Andriy Kostin resigned after security services uncovered a.
