In Odesa, three men were exposed for blackmailing a serviceman after the loss of his father.

Two individuals who were held in the pre-trial detention center in Odesa and their accomplice, a former prisoner, are suspected of extorting a non-existent debt from a serviceman. They face the possibility of imprisonment. This was reported by representatives of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Odesa region and the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office.

According to the police, three men aged 30, 28, and 25 learned that a 23-year-old serviceman from Podilsk was to receive financial assistance from the state due to the death of his father at the front, and they decided to take advantage of this.

The suspects found the young man's phone number and began calling him, demanding a non-existent debt.

Fearing for his life and health, the victim paid them 70 thousand hryvnias, but this was not enough for them - they demanded another 850 dollars that he had to return to them.

According to the investigation, the two older suspects were already in pre-trial detention at the time of the extortion. The younger one was released from prison at the end of 2024. He was arrested when he, having arranged a meeting with the serviceman, took five thousand hryvnias from him.

All suspects were informed of their suspicion under Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. They could face up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. The recently detained suspect has been ordered to be held in custody. He will not have the right to post bail.

The investigation is ongoing. The police are checking whether the group members were connected to other similar incidents that occurred in the Odesa region.