Under the procedural supervision of the prosecutors of the Prosecutor General’s Office, a scheme of illegal transportation of conscripted citizens across the state border of Ukraine was exposed.

The investigation established that during 2024–2025, an organized group operated on the territory of Odesa region, which included individual law enforcement officers, military personnel, and civilian intermediaries. Their activities were aimed at ensuring the illegal departure of men of conscription age abroad to bypass official checkpoints.

The scheme worked in the direction of the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldavian Republic. The members of the group divided the roles among themselves. Some were engaged in searching for customers and recruiting them through specially created channels in messengers, while others organized transportation to the border strip, provided illegal crossing routes, and contacts with accomplices on the territory of Moldova.

The cost of such a “package of services” was from 5 thousand US dollars per person. For conscripts, transportation to the border, instruction, means to overcome obstacles, and further escort on the territory of another state were provided.

As part of the investigation, repeated facts of the organization of illegal transportation were documented. Currently, prosecutors have notified several servicemen on suspicion of organizing and attempting to illegally transport persons across the state border (part 3 of Art 332, part 2 of Art 15, part 3 of Art 332, of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The court chose preventive measures for them in the form of bail with the imposition of procedural duties. Regarding the organizer of the group, who is outside Ukraine, a motion is being prepared for the selection of a preventive measure in the form of detention.

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. A full circle of members of the group is being established, including civilian intermediaries and persons who contributed to the organization of illegal routes. It is planned to report new suspicions, as well as change previously reported ones, taking into account the collected evidence.

Pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings is carried out by investigators of the Main Investigative Department of the State Bureau of Investigation with operational support from the Department of Internal Security of the National Police of Ukraine.

According to Art. 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until his guilt is proven in a legal manner and established by a court conviction.