Uman Military Commissariat uncovered a large-scale scheme of fictitious reservations to evade mobilization, which lasted several months and led to the detention of one of the organizers with a bail of one million hryvnias
This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), which conducted the investigation, seized evidence, and is now clarifying all circumstances of the criminal scheme. According to investigators, the illegal scheme operated from November 2024 and covered several regions of central Ukraine — Cherkasy and Kirovohrad oblasts. The main suspect was a local resident from Kirovohrad region, who sought clients willing to avoid mobilization under any pretext. Behind this scam was a black market of fictitious reservations that allowed military conscripts to "postpone" their service for six months for a symbolic fee — $7,000 USD. The primary clients were businesspeople who did not want to face the threat of mobilization and wanted to get rid of unwanted obligations as quickly as possible. The organizer informed potential "clients" that he had influence through corrupt connections over officials in relevant agencies to secure multi-month postponements of mobilization. Consequently, he promised to submit a forged application into the "Reserve+" system and to process it officially through front officials. After reaching an agreement, clients would give him the payment — initially part of it, with the rest paid after receiving official confirmation of the deferment through the system. On May 28, this year, SBI operatives detained the intermediary after receiving the first $3,500 USD as an "advance," and it is known that one of such fictitious deferments was confirmed in the "Reserve+" system database. During searches at the perpetrator’s location, law enforcement officers seized relevant documents and began investigating everyone who could be involved in the crime, as well as clarifying the possible involvement of officials from the TCC and SP of Cherkasy oblast in making illegal decisions. The detainee has already been notified of suspicion under the article "receiving undue benefit for influence on a person authorized to make decisions." According to the state prosecutor's office, this relates to a specific case — in November 2024, the suspect learned that his acquaintance, a director of a private enterprise, was subject to mobilization due to the absence of necessary documents and decided to take advantage of the situation. To profit financially, he promised to help arrange a deferment in exchange for money — and promised to influence officials in the Cherkasy TCC and SP for this service. In January 2025, the service provider met with the client at a gas station, where he received the first installment — $3,500 USD. The remaining amount was to be handed over after official registration of the deferment in the "Reserve+" system. However, during an attempt to transfer the second part of the money, the suspect disappeared from the scene, and law enforcement quickly detained him under Articles 208 and 615 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine on May 28. Currently, the suspect is in custody, with a preventive measure chosen that includes a bail of 1 million hryvnias. Investigative actions are ongoing, including verifying possible involvement of officials from the TCC and SP of Cherkasy oblast in organizing the criminal scheme. Searches are continuing, and law enforcement aims to identify all participants in this corruption chain, as illegal mechanisms of fictitious reservations posed a serious corruption risk and undermined confidence in the mobilization system. According to sources within law enforcement agencies, the scheme has already been discovered and stopped at an early stage. However, areas of particular interest remain potential connections among officials, who, together with civilian operators, could have engaged in illegal practices, complicating the honest and transparent functioning of the mobilization system. At the same time, SBI emphasizes the importance of strengthening oversight and combating corruption in this sphere, since "fictitious" reservations threaten not only the accurate accounting of military reservists but also the security and defense of the country.