In Odesa, a group of doctors organized a scheme to issue medical certificates that allowed the regional medical examination commission to declare men of military age unfit for military service.
This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigation and the Prosecutor General’s Office.
According to the SBI, in the spring of 2024, a doctor at the Odesa Regional Clinical Hospital began offering “paid services” to men who wanted to avoid mobilization. For this purpose, he involved 12 doctors from different institutions of the city, officials of the Odesa Regional Center for Medical and Social Expertise, and intermediaries from relatives.
The scheme involved inventing false diagnoses and creating medical documentation to confirm the “medical history,” including even fake MRI scans. With these documents, the conscripts went to the MSEC, where they were met by pre-trained commission members who assigned them 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.
According to the SBI, 42 conscripts have been identified as having used this scheme, while other cases are under investigation.
During 28 searches at the suspects’ places of work and residence, medical records, USD 74,000, UAH 12,500 in cash and three premium cars were seized.
In addition, the Center for Medical and Social Expertise identified two soldiers who were wanted for unauthorized abandonment of their units and five “clients” of military age who were wanted for evading military service and trying to register fictitious disabilities. The detained men were handed over to the military law enforcement service and the local RTCC and JV.
The doctor-organizer was detained and served with a notice of suspicion of receiving undue advantage. The issue of serving suspicion notices to other participants of the scheme is being considered.