War-time dads: massive draft-dodging scheme exposed in Odesa region

NABU and SAPO have exposed an organized crime ring operating within the judicial system, which helped draft-age men illegally leave the country and evade mobilization.

The scheme involved the mass issuance of court rulings falsely declaring fathers as the sole caregivers of their children under fabricated circumstances. This legal loophole allowed men to avoid conscription and cross the border under the pretense of child care. For $3,500, a court decision granting the right to travel abroad was issued in a single hearing without the parties' participation. Investigators have identified 1,040 such rulings.

To conceal their activities, the perpetrators set up a “back office” in a law firm and even advertised their “services” on social media

Through joint efforts by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, and the Security Service of Ukraine, charges have been filed against eight members of the criminal group, including:

• the head of the court
• a former head of the court (current judge);
• a judge
• the deputy head of court staff;
• a judge's assistant;
• a court consultant;
• a lawyer;
• a lawyer’s assistant.

Additionally, six other individuals have been charged with crimes linked to the group’s activities, namely:

• two judicial assistants;
• two lawyers;
• a courtroom secretary;
• a Ukrainian citizen.

Their actions fall under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

• Article 368 – accepting undue benefits;
• Article 369 – offering unlawful benefits;
• Article 332 – organizing illegal border crossing;
• Article 114-1 – obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• Article 376-1 – illegal interference in the operation of automated judicial systems.

Three judges have been disciplined, with recommendations for their dismissal.

The operation lasted for over a year. In January 2024, detectives documented a judge receiving a bribe in exchange for a favorable ruling. This, however, did not stop the criminal group from pursuing its plan. Further offenses were recorded in the summer and fall of 2024, leading to charges against nine more individuals. By February 2025, NABU and SAPO had gathered sufficient evidence to classify the group’s actions as an organized criminal enterprise, resulting in new charges being filed.