He Promised to Help a “Sailor” Leave the Country for $6,000: Odesa Region Resident to Stand Trial

A case against a 39-year-old resident of Odesa Oblast, accused of organizing the illegal transfer of a person liable for military service across the border and trading in influence, has been referred to court. The Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office announced the referral. According to od.gp.gov.ua.

According to investigators, in 2025 the man offered an acquaintance of conscription age help leaving Ukraine. The acquaintance had experience working at sea, and the proposed scheme was priced at US$6,000.

In exchange for the money, the accused promised to arrange documents allowing the acquaintance to cross the border as a crew member of a foreign vessel. According to investigators, the arrangement involved:

• falsifying training records for a prospective crew member;
• adding the acquaintance to the crew list of a foreign vessel.

Some of the forged documents were sent to the acquaintance by mail. Among them was a certificate qualifying him as an engine-room watchkeeper.

The accused was detained in Izmail while receiving the money.

We previously reported:

• “Tours” for $13,000: former Culture Ministry official charged over scheme to help men leave the country
• Across the border under a “prosecutor’s” cover: new scheme to help people liable for military service flee uncovered
• “Treatment” for $6,000: fraud involving forged certificates for people liable for military service uncovered in Mykolaiv
• Draft evasion scheme: men were taken abroad posing as minibus drivers
• $12,000 for escape: organizer of illegal border crossings for draft evaders detained in Mykolaiv