Authorities Uncover Scheme to Evade Mobilization in Cherkasy Involving Fake Ambulance Calls
In Cherkasy, law enforcement officials have uncovered an organized scheme to evade military mobilization, involving medical personnel and the head of a regional branch of a national medical company. Seven individuals have already been charged in connection with this illegal activity.
In a significant crackdown, law enforcement authorities in Cherkasy have revealed an organized scheme designed to facilitate evasion of military mobilization. This operation reportedly involved medical professionals and the head of a regional branch of a nationwide medical company. So far, seven individuals have been charged for their roles in this illicit activity.
According to information provided by the Cherkasy Regional Prosecutor's Office, the Office of the Prosecutor General, and the Security Service of Ukraine, the mastermind behind this scheme is a 47-year-old man originally from Donetsk, who has been residing in Cherkasy since 2021 and holds a leadership position in a critical healthcare infrastructure facility. Utilizing his connections among medical staff, he recruited six other doctors and emergency medical personnel to participate in the scheme.
The investigation has revealed that these individuals offered conscripts what they termed 'inpatient treatment' through fabricated hospitalizations, organized via calls to the emergency line 103. They targeted military conscripts, providing them with instructions on how to obtain these 'services,' creating counterfeit medical documents, organizing fake hospital admissions, conducting superficial examinations, and generating reports to submit to military medical commissions.
This mobilization evasion scheme operated from 2025 to 2026. To implement their plans, the organizers made use of fake calls to the emergency line '103,' dispatching pre-selected ambulance crews to respond. On paper, they documented hospital admissions to a medical center, while doctors in the departments falsified test results and examinations, creating 'medical histories' with invented diagnoses.
Based on these fraudulent documents, clients were granted the status of unfit for military service. The cost of such 'services' was approximately $3,500. During the investigation, law enforcement officials conducted 16 searches across Cherkasy and Vinnytsia regions, resulting in the seizure of equipment, medical documentation, seals, forms, and materials containing information about individuals who sought these 'services.' Additionally, nearly $40,000 of unidentified origin was confiscated.
Currently, the production of fake documents for four individuals has been documented, and the investigation continues to identify others involved in this case. The organizer of the scheme was apprehended while receiving part of the illicit profits, and he has already been charged under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, including part 2 of article 28, part 1 of article 114-1, part 2 of article 369-2, and part 3 of article 358. A petition for the organizer's arrest without the right to bail has been submitted to the court.
As for the six other medical professionals implicated in this scheme, they have also been charged under part 2 of article 28, part 1 of article 114-1, and part 3 of article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Currently, discussions are underway regarding the selection of preventive measures for them. This situation has sparked significant public outcry and underscores the importance of combating corruption within the healthcare sector and military mobilization efforts.