The Lviv Regional Prosecutor's Office has sent an indictment to the court regarding three members of an organized criminal group and two doctors who were not part of the group, for facilitating illegal border crossing and document forgery.

According to the investigation, the organized group included a resident of Lviv region and two residents of Ternopil region. For 5,000 to 15,000 US dollars per person, they helped conscripted men avoid military service and leave Ukraine. They involved two doctors in the criminal activity, who arranged fictitious inpatient treatment in medical institutions.

Subsequently, the men were provided with fake medical documents with non-existent diagnoses. 

Based on these false medical records, military registration documents were altered: the men were declared unfit for service and removed from military records. This opened the way for them to cross the border without hindrance. In some cases, the organizer forged the documents himself.

According to the investigation, at least 18 men used the services of the suspects.

The members of the organized group are charged with: obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations (Part 1 of Article 114-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and organizing the illegal transportation of persons across the state border (Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The organizer of the group is charged with: forgery of official documents (Parts 1, 3 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and acquisition of someone else's property by deception (Parts 3, 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The doctors are accused of aiding in obstructing the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Part 1 of Article 114-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and forgery of official documents (Parts 1, 3 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

One of the doctors is additionally charged with aiding in the organization of illegal transportation of persons across the border (Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

At the request of the prosecutor's office, all members of the organized group have been placed in custody without the right to bail. The doctors have been dismissed from their positions.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted under the operational support of the Strategic Investigations Department in Lviv region of the National Police of Ukraine and investigators from the investigative department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv region.

Note: according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a court verdict.