In the Odesa region, law enforcement has exposed a corrupt scheme related to the sale of fake «football tours» to conscripts. The employees of the State Bureau of Investigations, with the assistance of the Security Service of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service, have reported suspicions against the head of one of the border guard departments in Odesa. He, along with a former employee of the service, organized a channel for illegally smuggling men to unrecognized Transnistria.
In August 2025, the official decided to engage in illegal activities by forging smuggling operations for draft evaders across the state border outside of official checkpoints. His accomplice sought out willing men, using a false message regarding «football match tickets» as a password for departure. The cost for participating in this «game» was $3,000. For this amount, they were taken to the border and provided instructions on how to bypass checkpoints.
On August 14, 2025, law enforcement apprehended the criminals while they were receiving payment for their «service».
The suspects have been charged with organizing the illegal transportation of individuals across the state border of Ukraine (part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and a preventive measure has been chosen in the form of detention for 60 days with an alternative bail option of 605,000 UAH.
The sanction of the article provides for a penalty of up to 9 years of imprisonment. Currently, the DBR is establishing the full list of individuals involved in this scheme and all conscripts who have managed to use the service. The procedural guidance is being carried out by the Odesa Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the field of defense of the Southern region.