Five-Year Sentence for Ukrainian Woman Who Arranged Sham Marriages to Evade Military Service.

Court Issues Sentence for Sham Marriage Scheme

According to TSN.ua: A woman from the Lviv region has been sentenced for organizing fraudulent marriages to help men of military age illegally leave Ukraine. The resident of Mostyska district arranged two such sham marriages with men registered for military service. The case was heard by the Mostyska District Court of Lviv Oblast.

Case Details

The first marriage was registered in the town of Horodok in April 2023. On June 15, 2023, the woman and her first 'husband' crossed the border at the 'Shehyni' pedestrian checkpoint. She entered a second sham marriage in Drohobych in December 2023. In May 2024, she attempted to leave the country again with her new 'spouse'.

The court found the woman guilty under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The sentence includes five years of imprisonment. Additionally, she is barred from holding any positions related to border crossing for one year and will be subject to a two-year probationary period.

This case highlights the severe penalties for attempting to circumvent Ukraine's laws on military-age men leaving the country during wartime. Since Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has enforced strict mobilization rules to maintain its defense forces. Organizing sham marriages is considered a serious crime that undermines national security, and law enforcement agencies are actively working to detect and stop such illegal schemes.