SBI launches 72 raids across military units over fake service and stolen payrolls

The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), in collaboration with the General Staff and the Prosecutor General’s Office, initiated the Justice for Soldiers operation on August 20. This operation involved 72 searches across various military units as part of 21 criminal proceedings. The primary goal of the operation was to uncover military personnel who were merely on paper rolls, receiving unauthorized state payments, or engaging in private work for commanding officers.

The SBI focused on instances where soldiers were assigned to private construction projects, domestic chores, and commercial labor instead of their military duties. Most of the investigations centered around fraudulent payroll assignments and misused service allowances. There were 58 searches in total, with formal suspicion notices planned for 20 individuals once the operation concluded.

Furthermore, five additional searches were underway regarding the illegal assignment of soldiers to private labor. Nine searches were part of a corruption abuse case, with suspicion notices prepared for two targets. Law enforcement authorities intend to issue formal suspicion notices to a total of 22 individuals following the operation.

The SBI had also completed investigations in four separate criminal proceedings involving illicit payments made to military personnel, with indictments prepared for 16 individuals to be handed over to the courts. On August 18, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced that ten servicemen from a district Territorial Recruitment Center (TCC) in Odesa received suspicion notices for kidnapping and torture.

The investigation revealed that at least eight victims had suffered physical abuse and assault. On August 12, four recruitment center employees in Odesa Oblast were served suspicion notices for unlawful imprisonment and abduction involving physical violence.