Those who are in Ukraine are at risk: Ukrainian men are facing criminal cases over the ‘white ticket’

Ukrainian authorities are threatening to hold those who purchased certificates of unfitness for military service criminally accountable.

The prospects of holding “white ticket holders,” those who have left the country, accountable in any way, are close to zero. At the same time, people who received a white ticket after February 24, 2022, and are still living in Ukraine, are at real risk. This applies regardless of whether they paid for a certificate of unfitness or genuinely have health issues. Identifying and bringing them in for questioning during inspections should not be difficult.

There are two possible scenarios going forward:

1. The owners of certificates may be required to undergo a medical examination again to confirm their diagnosis (it’s possible they may have to pay for this again).
2. The principle of presumption of guilt may be applied to them – meaning, without thoroughly investigating, criminal cases may be initiated against them. They would then have to prove that they are genuinely ill. Again, this opens up significant opportunities to “re-ticket” a person, taking money for closing a criminal case or for not declaring suspicion, as well as for confirming the diagnosis.

In the end, the announced fight against draft dodgers or “white ticket holders” is unlikely to contribute to eradicating corruption related to military mobilization but could significantly expand the corruption network. In addition to doctors and military commissars, law enforcement officers may also become involved.

Meanwhile, today, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Alexei Danilov, announced that the results of the military medical commissions’ checks will be known in two to three weeks.