A book instead of prison: a student was given an unusual punishment for a scheme to travel abroad

Yavoriv District Court of Lviv Region sentenced a student who promised to help a man liable for military service travel abroad for 5,900 US dollars. On May 14, 2026 the publication reported Zaxid.net.

As stated in the case materials, the defendant was studying in his first year at the National University “Odesa Law Academy”. In September 2025 he offered an acquaintance help to leave Ukraine. The man the student promised to help was liable for military service and had no legal grounds to cross the border. Despite this, the first-year student assured him that he could arrange the necessary documents and accompany him through the checkpoint. For this “service” he demanded 5,900 US dollars.

In court the student pleaded guilty. He explained that he wanted to earn money to pay for his studies. According to him, in the summer of 2025 an unknown man called and said he had supposedly received the number from someone at the city council. That man asked whether the student knew how to get abroad. After that the young man found online a company that allegedly produces fake documents and arranged to hand over the documents at a gas station near Lviv. When he received the money for his services, he was detained by officers of the SBU.

The court took into account that at the time of the offense the student was a minor and had no prior criminal record. The court also considered his difficult family situation: the young man is an internally displaced person and deprived of parental care. The case also notes that the defendant has school awards and a letter of thanks from a territorial defense brigade for assistance to the military.

In view of these circumstances the court released him from actually serving the sentence. At the same time, Judge Iryna Karpyn obliged the student to read the book Violina Sytnik “Masks of Other Roles”. According to Zaxid.net, the court believes this work should help the young man realize the consequences of negative roles, understand himself and find his own path so as not to commit offenses in the future.

The verdict of the Yavoriv District Court of Lviv Region can still be appealed.

Previously we wrote:

• “Evacuation” Ukrainian-style: for $15,000 they promised to hide people from military service
• They dive underwater with aquascooters: the Dniester became a new escape route across the border
• Bill for draft dodgers: for illegal departure – fine up to 170,000 or up to three years behind bars
• In the ring — sport, in life — a scheme: a boxing official organized departures for draft dodgers
• Gas pipe, trunks and fake certificates: the SBU busted 8 organizers of “draft-dodging schemes”