Authorities in Cherkasy have uncovered a scheme involving seven individuals who allegedly profited from helping others evade military conscription. The operation was reportedly orchestrated by the head of a regional medical facility, who collaborated with various medical professionals.
According to the investigation, the 47-year-old organizer, originally from Donetsk, has been residing in Cherkasy since 2021. He holds a managerial position within the healthcare sector and utilized his connections to recruit doctors and emergency medical personnel into the illegal operation.
The scheme, which reportedly operated from 2025 to 2026, involved offering draft-eligible individuals a fabricated hospital stay through false emergency calls to the medical emergency line, 103. The group would then guide these individuals through the process of obtaining fraudulent medical documentation.
Participants in the scheme would create fictitious medical histories and diagnoses, allowing clients to be classified as unfit for military service. The entire process was said to cost around $3,500.
Law enforcement conducted 16 searches across Cherkasy and Vinnytsia regions, seizing medical documents, stamps, and equipment linked to the fraudulent activities. Additionally, nearly $40,000 in cash of unknown origin was confiscated.
So far, authorities have documented the creation of fake medical documents for four individuals, with ongoing efforts to identify others involved. The organizer was apprehended while accepting part of the illicit funds and has been charged under multiple articles of the Ukrainian Criminal Code.
The court has received a request for his detention without bail, while the other six medical personnel involved have also been charged, and discussions regarding their pre-trial measures are underway.
A significant operation in Cherkasy has led to the arrest of seven individuals, including a medical facility head, for allegedly facilitating military draft evasion. The scheme involved creating fake medical documents to classify individuals as unfit for service, with ongoing investigations to identify further participants.