8 thousand dollars – and a diagnosis in your pocket: how a CCC employee and a doctor helped tax evaders in Mykolaiv

The State Bureau of Investigation has completed a pre-trial investigation into an organized criminal group in Mykolaiv that produced fake medical documents for individuals seeking to avoid military service.

The criminal group consisted of three individuals: a platoon commander from one of the law enforcement agencies, the head of the mobilization department at the Central District Territorial Center for Recruiting and Social Support in Mykolaiv, and the director of a local hospital.

It was established that at the end of 2024, a law enforcement officer began looking for individuals willing to pay to avoid mobilization. Together with an employee of the Central District Center and the head of a medical institution, they devised a scheme to produce fake certificates of illness, which provided the possibility of exemption from service.

The cost of issuing such a fake diagnosis was $8,000, of which each participant received a portion.

In February 2025, all three were detained while attempting to hand over a bribe. Law enforcement officers recorded this process and conducted searches at the places of work and residence of the suspects.

The investigation is now complete, and the indictment has already been sent to court. The former law enforcement officer was suspended from his post during the investigation period. After receiving the exposure, the CCC employee was transferred to a military unit to continue his service.

A court in Mykolaiv will consider the case. If found guilty, the accused faces punishment under several articles, including corruption crimes, abuse of office, and document forgery.

The State Bureau of Investigation emphasizes the inadmissibility of such illegal actions. The issuance of forged medical documents is not only a criminal offense but also undermines trust in medical and state institutions, especially in times of war.