In the Odesa region, law enforcement officials have uncovered a corruption scheme involving the sale of fake «football tours» to military conscripts. The DBR, with the support of the SBU and the State Border Guard Service, charged the head of a border inspection department who, in collaboration with a former colleague, organized a scheme for smuggling men to the unrecognized Transnistria.

In August 2025, this official decided to forge documents for the illegal smuggling of draft evaders across the border. His accomplice found willing men, and the password for departure was a message about the availability of a ticket for a «football game». The cost of such a «service» was 3,000 USD. For this amount, they were driven to the border and given instructions on how to bypass checkpoints.

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

The suspects have been charged with organizing illegal smuggling of individuals across the state border of Ukraine (part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and a preventive measure of detention for 60 days has been chosen, with an alternative of bail set at 605,000 UAH.

The penalty under this article can be up to 9 years of imprisonment. Currently, the DBR is investigating to determine all individuals involved in the scheme and all military conscripts who managed to use the service. The procedural management is conducted by the Odesa Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the defense sector of the Southern region.