Former Odesa military commissar Borisov detained in Kyiv

On Monday, July 24, the State Bureau of Investigation, together with the Office of the Prosecutor General, detained the former head of the Odesa Regional Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support, Yevhen Borisov, in Kyiv

This was reported by the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office and the State Bureau of Investigation.

After Borisov was suspected of illicit enrichment worth hundreds of millions of hryvnias, failure to report for service and intentional evasion of military service, he tried to escape from the investigation. To do this, the suspect changed his phone numbers, cars, location, etc.

The former head of the Odesa military enlistment office was searched for two days. Eventually, he was found and detained in Kyiv.

Taking into account the former military commissar's attempts to hide from justice, State Bureau of Investigation officers will ask the court to keep him in custody without the possibility of bail.

What is known about the situation in the Odesa military enlistment center

On Thursday, June 22, the head of the Odesa Regional Territorial Enlistment Center, Yevhen Borisov, became a subject of an investigation by Ukrainska Pravda journalists, Battalion Spain.

According to the investigation, during the period of martial law, members of the suspect's family, on his behalf, purchased premium cars and real estate in the Kingdom of Spain. Borisov's wife became the owner of an office space on the main street of Marbella.

In early December 2022, the suspect, being a military officer responsible for mobilization in the region, after being discharged from a military hospital, did not report for military service for more than two weeks without good reason.

Later, in the second half of December 2022, the official fraudulently left the country. Together with his family members, he stayed for almost a month in the Republic of Moldova, Turkey, the Seychelles, and the Kingdom of Spain.

The Operational Command South responded to the trip of the head of the Odesa military enlistment center abroad: "It was established that his travel abroad at that time was absolutely authorized and permitted." Later, they stated that Borisov would continue to perform his duties. An internal investigation allegedly found no grounds for Borisov's removal from office.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to the scandal with the head of the Odesa military enlistment center, Yevhen Borisov, and ordered his dismissal.

On June 28, it became known that Yevhen Borisov no longer holds the position of head of the Odesa military enlistment center. The Ministry of Defense promised to react harshly and bring military officers to justice for unworthy behavior.

At the same time, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi appointed a new head of the Odesa military enlistment center. It is Colonel Oleksandr Okhrimenko.

Within 3 months, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention plans to check the lifestyle of all the management of the territorial enlistment centers.

On July 22, the State Bureau of Investigation notified the head of the Odesa Regional Territorial Enlistment Center, Yevhen Borisov, of suspicion of illegal enrichment worth hundreds of millions of hryvnias and intentional evasion from service. 

It was noted that during the pre-trial investigation, a huge body of evidence was collected. However, media reports were also studied for a full and impartial investigation. The materials of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) were also studied, which revealed signs of illicit enrichment of more than UAH 188 million.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, July 22, that the story should not have ended with the dismissal alone. The State Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Prosecutor General continued the necessary investigative and procedural actions. He also promised that law enforcement would provide all the details that could be made public.