Under the procedural guidance of the Zaporizhzhia Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the field of defense of the Eastern region, a serviceman has been notified of suspicion of completed attempt to assist in desertion and organizing the illegal transportation of individuals across the state border of Ukraine (under Part 2 of Article 15, Part 5 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 408, Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

It has been established that the commander of a mortar unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine organized an escort for a serviceman of the National Guard from the city of Zaporizhzhia to the western regions of Ukraine.

In October 2025, the suspect arranged a meeting for the escort and received the geolocation of the National Guard serviceman via messenger. The parties agreed on a reward amount of 6 thousand US dollars.

Together with an accomplice who helped implement the plan, the suspect escorted the serviceman in a service vehicle towards the state border with the aim of further illegal transportation to Romania. At the checkpoints, he presented his identification and gave instructions on how to avoid inspection.

For his actions, he received part of the reward — 3 thousand US dollars. During a check at one of the checkpoints, the vehicle was stopped, the suspect was exposed and detained.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation in Melitopol, with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine in the Zaporizhzhia region.