SBU have disrupted the operations of a group that was aiding men in fleeing from Ukraine

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and Moldovan special services have neutralized a gang involved in smuggling draft dodgers from Ukraine into the unrecognized Transnistria for $5,000 each.

The illegal trafficking route of draft dodgers ran from the Odessa region’s territory into the self-proclaimed Transnistria and further into Moldova. The cost of one “escape ticket” ranged up to $5,000, depending on the urgency of departure. Payments were conducted through cryptocurrency wallets.

The criminals would transport their “clients” to the border with the unrecognized Transnistria and then guide them through forests, bypassing checkpoints. To find “clients,” they created several specialized Telegram channels offering assistance in evading conscription in Ukraine for a fee.