Sham marriage for $9000: in the Mykolaiv region, a woman with a disability was drawn into a scheme for a draft evader
Love for a Price: "woman" — a disabled person — was supposed to help a man subject to military service cross the border
24 April 2026 року правоохоронці Mykolaiv region викрили та затримали 45-year-old resident of Voznesenskyi district, who organized an illegal scheme for those liable for military service to leave the country through sham marriages. According to the police and prosecutor’s office, the man sought among villagers “clients” who wanted to avoid mobilization and legally leave Ukraine.
The investigation established that the suspect lived together with a 31-year-old woman who has Group I disability and requires constant care. He used her in the scheme — offering those liable for military service to enter into a marriage with her, which provided an opportunity for lawful departure from the country.
For his “services” the organizer demanded 9,000 US dollars. Before concluding the marriage he received an advance payment of 5,000 hryvnias, and the final payment was made after state registration. 22 April 2026 the “marriage” was officially registered, after which the offender received the full amount and was detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.
Law enforcement notified the man of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — organization of illegal transfer of persons across the state border for profit. The penalty under the article provides for up to 9 years imprisonment with confiscation of property and a ban on holding certain positions.
It is known that the detainee had previously been on law enforcement’s radar and currently has no identity or citizenship documents. Soon the court will determine a preventive measure.
Earlier we wrote:
- Draft-dodger bill: for illegal departure – a fine up to 170,000 or up to three years behind bars
- In Odesa region a trafficker for $6,000 led conscripts across the fields to Moldova
- Marriage, disability and an ex-wife: new escape scheme exposed at the border
- Sham “love” for the sake of escape: at the border a 44-year-old man with an 80-year-old beloved mother-in-law was exposed
- Large-scale operation: police foiled the escape of hundreds of men abroad, including from Mykolaiv region
