Law enforcement officials in Kyiv have arrested a man suspected of extorting $100,000 from an employee of the territorial recruitment center. This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
The arrest resulted from a collaboration between the SBI and the Internal Security Department of the National Police. The suspect aimed to fraudulently obtain a significant amount of money from the head of a district recruitment center in the western region.
In December 2025, the man called a military officer posing as a mediator from the SBI, claiming that an investigation was underway against the officer related to Article 114-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which addresses obstruction of the Armed Forces' activities.
To "avoid problems," the fraudster offered to "resolve the issue" for $100,000.
In reality, there was no ongoing investigation — the entire story was fabricated. The man threatened the officer with criminal charges and the release of personal information to the media.
The SBI detained the suspect while he was transferring part of the funds amounting to $50,000.
He has been charged with attempted fraud in particularly large amounts (Part 2 of Article 15, Part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The penalty for this charge can reach up to 12 years in prison with property confiscation.
The issue of preventive measures is currently being resolved, overseen by the Office of the Prosecutor General.