Ukraine: Former Acting Minister Charged for Fictitious Band Scheme to Evade Military Service

Ukraine's former acting minister of culture and information policy has been charged with aiding illegal border crossings, according to Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.

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On paper, these men were members of a musical group. In reality, they had nothing to do with music.

The accused allegedly facilitated the departure of eight men of conscription age by presenting them as members of a musical ensemble traveling for charity concerts. Kravchenko stated that these individuals had no actual connection to music, and border guards initially denied them passage. However, a subsequent letter from the former minister to the State Border Guard Service, requesting facilitation for the group, became the basis for their exit from Ukraine. The eight men have not yet returned.

While the prosecutor general's official statement did not name the individual, the Interfax-Ukraine agency identified the suspect as Rostyslav Karandeyev, who held the position of acting minister of culture. Kravchenko stressed the gravity of such decisions during wartime, stating that they are not mere formalities but matters of state security, institutional trust, and fairness to those serving the country.

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In wartime, any official's decision regarding the departure of those subject to military service abroad is not a formality.

"A state document cannot be a cover. And during wartime, the responsibility of high-ranking officials should not be less, but greater," Kravchenko wrote on Telegram. The investigation is ongoing, with police leading the preparatory proceedings. This case follows previous efforts by Ukraine's Security Service and police to thwart attempts to evade military mobilization, leading to the detention of ten organizers in various regions.

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A state document cannot be a cover. And during wartime, the responsibility of high-ranking officials should not be less, but greater.