{"id":593931,"date":"2026-06-20T14:52:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T11:52:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/2026\/06\/593931\/trips-for-13-000-former-head-of-the-ministry-of-culture-notified-of-suspicion-in-a-scheme-to-facilitate-men-s-exit-from-the-country\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T14:52:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T11:52:40","slug":"trips-for-13-000-former-head-of-the-ministry-of-culture-notified-of-suspicion-in-a-scheme-to-facilitate-men-s-exit-from-the-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/en\/2026\/06\/593931\/trips-for-13-000-former-head-of-the-ministry-of-culture-notified-of-suspicion-in-a-scheme-to-facilitate-men-s-exit-from-the-country\/","title":{"rendered":"\"Trips\" for $13,000: former head of the Ministry of Culture notified of suspicion in a scheme to facilitate men\u2019s exit from the country"},"content":{"rendered":"

The National Police 20 June<\/strong> 2026 reported<\/a> that it has charged a former acting Minister of Culture and four other citizens in a case concerning the illegal transfer of men subject to conscription abroad under the guise of members of musical groups. According to investigators, law enforcement blocked the criminal scheme in April 2026<\/strong>. At that time, a businesswoman believed to be the organizer of the operation was charged in absentia.<\/p>\n

To arrange the fake “tours,” the woman specifically registered as an individual entrepreneur. Men who wanted to leave Ukraine during martial law were included in the musical groups created on paper.<\/p>\n

The price for a place in such a “group” reached $13,000<\/strong> per person.<\/p>\n

According to law enforcement, the scheme has already been used by 28 men<\/strong>. They left Ukraine posing as musicians and have not returned. Another 16 people<\/strong> were preparing to cross the border as part of fake ensembles.<\/p>\n

Organizers submitted lists of alleged members of musical groups to the Ministry of Culture. The documents stated that the groups planned to hold charity performances abroad in support of Ukraine.<\/p>\n

According to the investigation, four group members searched for “clients,” agreed on prices and trip details, and the former head of the ministry signed letters of assistance that were later used to cross the state border.<\/p>\n

The National Police described the role of each of the figures in the scheme: they initially submitted to the Ministry of Culture a list of persons \u2014 members of musical groups. These ensembles intended to support Ukraine with their charity performances abroad. Police established the involvement of the former acting Minister of Culture and four other citizens. The latter sought “clients,” discussed the terms of the “tours,” and the ex-official endorsed with his signature letters of assistance from the ministry.<\/p>\n

Officially the National Police does not name the surname of the former acting Minister of Culture. At the same time, media publications link the case to \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0432\u043e\u043c \u041a\u0430\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0454\u0454\u0432\u0438\u043c<\/strong>, who headed the ministry in the status of acting head from 28 July 2023 to 4 September 2024<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Prosecutor General reported<\/a> that border guards initially denied the scheme participants permission to cross the state border.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe head of the ministry sent a letter again to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine requesting assistance for the departure of these same persons already as members of a musical group. It was this letter that became the documentary basis for crossing the border. As a result, eight conscription-age men left Ukraine and have not returned to this day,\u201d \u2014 clarified \u0420\u0443\u0441\u043b\u0430\u043d \u041a\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043a\u043e<\/strong>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

After the first reports about the scheme’s exposure, \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0432 \u041a\u0430\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0454\u0454\u0432<\/strong> said that while in office he signed petitions for the departure of Ukrainian artists but allowed that fraudulent documents could have been among the submitted requests. The final assessment of his actions must be given by the investigation, and guilt can only be established by a court.<\/p>\n

All suspects are accused of organizing the illegal transfer of persons across the state border of Ukraine. This concerns the criminal offense provided for in Art. 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Earlier we wrote:<\/strong><\/p>\n