Deserter and His Wife Charged with Illegally Obtaining ₴4.2 Million in Payments

The Donetsk Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the sphere of defense of the Eastern region has announced charges against a couple who, according to investigation findings, organized a scheme to illegally obtain state payments by falsely representing a living military officer as missing in action. This case has sparked significant public outrage, as it involves the misuse of state funds during wartime.

The story that led to the criminal proceedings began in April 2022, when an officer deserted his positions in the Donetsk direction. Following his desertion, he hid for some time with his wife's relatives in the Odesa region, and later illegally crossed the border to flee to Germany. This fact only came to light after some time, and by May of the same year, the military officer was officially registered as missing in action while performing a combat mission.

Knowing that her husband was alive and safe, the deserter's wife decided to exploit the situation. She submitted documents to receive financial assistance from the state, which was intended for families of missing soldiers. Over three years, from May 2022 to May 2025, the couple embezzled funds that were supposed to support the families of military personnel who had gone missing.

According to the investigation, the couple managed to receive over ₴4.2 million in budgetary funds. Instead of being used for noble causes, this money was spent on their personal needs. In particular, the woman laundered nearly half a million hryvnias through bank transfers, cash withdrawals, and loan repayments. This indicates that the couple acted with intent and planning, attempting to circumvent the law.

The actions of the serviceman have been classified under Part 4 of Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which stipulates responsibility for desertion, meaning the voluntary abandonment of a place of service to evade military service during a state of war. The actions of the woman, who assisted her husband in this scheme, are classified under Part 1 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, concerning the legalization (laundering) of property obtained through criminal means. This means she was conducting financial transactions with funds acquired as a result of socially dangerous actions.

Furthermore, both are charged under Part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which addresses fraud, specifically the unlawful acquisition of another's property through deception, committed by a group of individuals in conspiracy and in particularly large amounts during a state of war. This further underscores the seriousness of the crimes committed and their impact on society.

At this time, both the husband and wife have been placed on international wanted lists, indicating the gravity of the situation and the law enforcement agencies' intent to hold them accountable. Additionally, their property has been seized, which is standard practice in such cases to prevent potential flight or concealment of assets.

This case serves as yet another reminder of the importance of adhering to legislation, especially in wartime, when every hryvnia of state payments is crucial for supporting those affected by the conflict. As reported by Ukrinform, the mother of a defender from Rivne region, Dmytro Panchuk, who received ₴4 million in salary during her son's captivity, also wishes to reach a settlement, highlighting the varying aspects of interactions with state payments in wartime.