The forester and his accomplice are to stand trial for organising the illegal smuggling of men into Belarus
Officers from the State Bureau of Investigations, with the assistance of the National Police and the State Border Guard Service, have concluded a pre-trial investigation into an official from one of the forest districts of the Polissya Forest Office of the State Enterprise ‘Forests of Ukraine’ and an acquaintance of his. The indictment has already been sent to court.
The investigation established that in early 2026, the men organised a scheme to facilitate the illegal departure of conscripts from Ukraine. The official sought out those wishing to leave the country and was to escort them on foot to the state border, using his knowledge of the border area.
The cost of this service was 8,000 US dollars per person.
On 15 February 2026, SBI officers documented the organisation of the illegal smuggling of two men to the border zone and the receipt of 16,000 US dollars for this.
During his arrest, an unregistered hunting rifle and ammunition were found in the official’s possession. Both suspects were arrested in the act of committing the offence.
The official has since been dismissed from his post. Both defendants have pleaded guilty and transferred 890,000 hryvnias to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which corresponds to the amount of the bail paid.
The men are accused of organising the illegal smuggling of persons across the state border of Ukraine, directing such actions and aiding and abetting their commission by prior conspiracy by a group of persons for mercenary motives.
In addition, the official is charged with the unlawful carrying and possession of firearms and ammunition without the permission required by law.
The penalties under the charged offences provide for imprisonment for a term of 7 to 9 years with confiscation of property.
The Rivne Regional Prosecutor’s Office is overseeing the proceedings in the case.
