An Odesa military enlistment officer demanded money to remove someone from the wanted list and to grant a reservation deferment, threatening to send them to the front lines

In Odesa, police detained an employee of a territorial recruitment center on suspicion of extorting money.

This was reported by the press service of the National Police of Ukraine on its Facebook page.

Law enforcement officers said the suspect held a position in the notification department and had access to citizens’ records. Using this access, he allegedly looked for men who were listed as wanted for violating military registration rules and promised to “resolve” the issue for them.

The suspect allegedly claimed he could arrange with colleagues to have someone removed from the wanted list for 9,000 hryvnias (€176), and for an additional $6,000 he would also secure employment at a critical infrastructure enterprise so the person could obtain a deferment (reservation) from military service. If the men refused, the recruitment officer allegedly threatened them with mobilization to a military unit, from which they would be sent straight to the combat zone.

Police documented the alleged illegal actions and detained him while he was receiving part of the money for starting the “employment” process—$3,000, according to the statement.

Investigators have already formally notified the suspect of the charges.

It was also recalled that recently, in Odesa, the Security Service of Ukraine detained “voluntary assistants” of the recruitment center on suspicion of taking bribes.