Father-Son Duo Detained for Helping Men Evade Military Service by Smuggling Them Out of Ukraine
Authorities in Lviv have arrested a father and his son on charges of orchestrating an illegal operation to transport military-age men across the border. The suspects are 66-year-old Roman Butlyar, a former deputy of the Matsoshyn village council, and his 46-year-old son Bohdan Butlyar, a private entrepreneur. The scheme, which was devised in February 2024, offered two main options for clients:
- Fabricated medical documents to obtain disability status, priced at $15,000;
- Crossing the border outside official checkpoints for $10,000.
The arrests took place in late May, after law enforcement received an initial payment of $7,500. The operation unfolded near a shopping center in the Sykhiv district. During a search of Roman Butlyar’s premises, authorities seized ammunition for firearms, which has been sent for forensic analysis. This case highlights ongoing efforts to crack down on illegal border crossings amid Ukraine's wartime conscription measures.
How the Service Worked and What Followed
The core promise of the service was to guarantee clients a hassle-free departure from Ukraine. The organizers planned to personally drive the men to the border zone in their own vehicle. Once there, they provided detailed instructions on precisely where and how to cross the border on foot, bypassing official checkpoints entirely.
In addition, clients could pay 40,000 Ukrainian hryvnias for fake medical documents and another 11,000 hryvnias to cover the cost of a simulated hospital stay. The investigation is still ongoing, with authorities working to identify and pursue other potential participants in the operation.
This incident underscores the severity of the problem of illegal departures from the country during martial law—a practice that endangers both national security and the safety of the conscripts themselves.
Investigating and apprehending the organizers of such schemes is a critical step in combating offenses that could have serious repercussions for the country. Law enforcement agencies continue to actively search for other possible members of this criminal network, reflecting a systematic approach to addressing the issue.
This recent arrest in Lviv is part of a broader crackdown on illegal border evasion schemes, reminiscent of a similar operation recently dismantled in Kyiv. In that case, authorities apprehended two individuals who orchestrated a network facilitating draft evasion. For more details on how these illegal activities are being addressed across the country, see the full report on the illegal draft evasion network in Kyiv.