Operation "Guardian": police carried out 65 searches across 24 regions; 82 suspects have been charged. VIDEO&PHOTOS
A comprehensive, long-term police initiative is underway, aimed at uncovering schemes to evade mobilisation and illegally leave military service. As part of these measures, investigations are being carried out into cases of document forgery, falsified medical certificates and the use of fictitious claims of caring for disabled relatives to obtain deferrals.
This was reported by Censor.NET, citing the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police of Ukraine.
How did the scheme work?
These cases involve not only those liable for military service but also those who facilitate the creation and implementation of illegal schemes.
The main scheme involves submitting forged or false medical documents regarding health conditions – both their own and those of relatives requiring constant care – to military units and the Territorial Recruitment Centres. However, investigations revealed that the ‘sick’ men or their relatives had not visited any medical facilities, had not undergone any treatment or examinations, or that, whilst assistance had indeed been provided under the reference numbers on the medical documentation, it had been received by entirely different people. All these actions have been clearly classified under the law: from evading conscription to desertion, fraud and forgery of documents.
New searches
Between 18 and 26 June, law enforcement officers carried out the eighth phase of Operation ‘Guardian’. As part of this phase, officers from the Department of Strategic Investigations and its regional offices, the Main Investigative Directorate of the National Police and the investigative units of regional police departments, the State Bureau of Investigation and the public prosecutor’s offices, in conjunction with the internal security service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, carried out 65 searches.
The operations took place in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Zakarpattia, Zaporizhzhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kherson, Chernivtsi, Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions.
Suspicions
Based on the results, 82 individuals were placed under suspicion during this stage alone. Among them are military personnel, staff at medical facilities and military units, as well as residents of various regions – organisers and participants in the schemes.
The actions of those exposed are classified under a number of articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, in particular:
- 190 (fraud),
- 358 (forgery of documents and their use),
- 332 (illegal smuggling of persons across the state border of Ukraine),
- 336 (evading conscription during mobilisation),
- 364 (Abuse of power or official position),
- 366 (Falsification of official documents),
- 369-2 (abuse of influence),
- 409 (evading military service by self-mutilation or other means),
- 426-1 (Exceeding authority or official powers by a military officer).
Medical records were also seized, which had been used by military personnel and those liable for military service to be discharged from service and evade mobilisation, along with mobile phones.
More on Operation ‘Guardian’
In total, since the start of the operation, which has been ongoing since May 2025, eight phases have been carried out, 407 suspects have been charged, and 173 indictments have been sent to court.
The collection of evidence is continuing, and measures are being taken to revoke illegally obtained deferrals and exemptions, as well as to bring those involved in the abuses to criminal justice.
