Law enforcement officers exposed an organized group of doctors in Odessa who helped healthy men of military age obtain medical documents, which allowed the regional MSEC to declare them unfit for service.
Source: State Bureau of Investigation, Office of the Prosecutor General
Details: According to the Bureau, in the spring of 2024, a doctor at the Odessa Regional Clinical Hospital began providing “paid services” to men who tried to avoid mobilization. In his illegal scheme, he involved 12 doctors from different institutions of the city, officials of the Odessa Regional Center for Medical and Social Expertise and their relatives, who served as intermediaries.
Doctors came up with diagnoses for healthy men and prepared the necessary medical documentation to confirm the “medical history”, even taking “MRI” images. Subsequently, those liable for military service, with a package of ready-made documents, went to the MSEC, where they were met by “trained” members of the commission to register a disability group.
The cost of services ranged from 6 to 12 thousand US dollars, depending on the complexity of the diagnosis and the required disability group.
The SBI says that they have already identified 42 persons liable for military service who took advantage of this scheme. Others are in the process of being established.
Law enforcement officers conducted 28 searches at the places of work and residence of the defendants. Medical documentation, 74,000 US dollars and 12,500 UAH in cash and three premium cars were seized.
In addition, during a search at the Center for Medical and Social Expertise, they discovered and detained two servicemen who were wanted for leaving a military unit without permission (they have now been taken to the Military Law Enforcement Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine) and five “clients” of military age who were in wanted for evading military service and tried to register a fictitious disability (the men were taken to the RTCC and SP).
The doctor behind the criminal scheme has been detained. He was informed of suspicion of receiving illegal benefits by an official. The issue of reporting suspicions to other participants in the scheme is being resolved.