In the Odessa region, law enforcement officials have uncovered a border guard involved in organizing the illegal exit of conscripts disguised as «football tours» abroad. The DBR, with the assistance of the SBU and the State Border Guard Service, reported suspicions against the head of a border service unit who, together with a former employee, established a channel for smuggling men to the unrecognized Transnistria.

In August 2025, the official decided to forge a scheme for smuggling draft dodgers across the state border outside of checkpoints. His accomplice sought out interested men, using the code of an available ticket for a «football game» as a means of departure. The cost of this «game» was set at 3,000 USD. For this amount, they were transported to the border and given instructions on how to evade checkpoints.

On August 14, 2025, law enforcement officers arrested the crooks while they were receiving payment for their «service».

The suspects were charged with organizing the illegal transport of individuals across the state border of Ukraine (part 3 of article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and were remanded in custody for 60 days with an alternative bail of 605,000 UAH.

The penalty under this article can reach up to 9 years in prison. Currently, the DBR is identifying all individuals involved in the scheme and all conscripts who managed to use the service. The procedural supervision is being carried out by the Odessa Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the defense sector of the Southern region.