Scheme Uncovered in Ukraine for Illegal Exit of Men Under the Guise of Musician Tours

The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has revealed details of a significant scheme aimed at facilitating the illegal exit of men of conscription age from the country. On April 7, the office announced that a Ukrainian woman had been implicated in orchestrating this operation, which involved using music group tours as a facade for transporting individuals lacking legal justification for leaving Ukraine.

According to Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, the suspect operated as a private entrepreneur in the cultural sector. She specifically targeted men who were not eligible to leave the country and offered them 'arrangements' as members of musical groups for a fee of approximately $7,500.

Following this, the individual submitted lists of these men to the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, claiming they would participate in charitable concerts abroad. Based on these submissions, the Ministry prepared and sent letters of support to the State Border Guard Service to facilitate their border crossing. These documents served as the basis for the men's departure from Ukraine.

As a result of this scheme, 28 individuals successfully left Ukraine and have not returned. Additionally, 16 more were planning to exit in a similar manner but were unable to execute their plans in time, Kravchenko noted.

As of today, the suspect, who is currently outside Ukraine, has been notified of her suspicion in absentia under part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The Prosecutor General also reported that searches were conducted today at the homes of former Ministry employees, including the former acting Minister of Culture of Ukraine, who had approved the relevant letters, as well as other involved parties.

Kravchenko emphasized that an investigation is ongoing to determine the involvement of officials from the Ministry in this criminal scheme. This investigation gained urgency after a report by the Bihus.Info project on February 2, which revealed that at least five men had been illegally exported from Ukraine under the guise of musicians for charitable concerts by artist Petro Chornyi in Spain during 2025.

One man who fell victim to this scheme recounted to journalists that he paid around $5,000 for his exit. According to information from the Kyiv City Military Administration, Serhiy Matusov, a private entrepreneur, frequently approached them for assistance in facilitating the exit of artist Petro Chornyi and his musicians for various charitable events in Spain.

The investigation also highlighted that in June, thanks to Matusov's letters, Dmytro Prokudin and Ihor Odaryuk left Ukraine. Prokudin, who works in IT, now resides near Valencia and confirmed that his primary goal for leaving was indeed to exit Ukraine. As for Odaryuk, although he is a legitimate musician, no evidence of his participation in Petro Chornyi's concerts could be found. Additionally, concert organizer Matusov failed to provide any proof.

Bihus.Info notes that Odaryuk may not have even reached Spain, as he might currently be residing in Germany. This situation underscores the seriousness of the problem of evading mobilization and the use of cultural events as a cover for illegal exits from the country.