Cherkasy prosecutor to be tried for fraud with disability pension: almost half a million hryvnias in damages
30 July 2025 17:21
The deputy head of the Uman District Prosecutor’s Office will stand trial on charges of fraud – according to the investigation, he illegally received a disability pension issued on the basis of falsified documents.
This was reported by the press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to the investigation, on July 31, 2020, the prosecutor turned to doctors with minor complaints, but on the same day he received a full package of documents for registration of the second disability group – without following the procedures and in the absence of serious health problems. On the basis of this decision, he received a disability pension until November 2024, amounting to almost 477 thousand hryvnias.
The suspect is charged under Part 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – large-scale fraud. He faces up to 8 years in prison. The indictment was sent to court on July 30.
The case against the head of the regional medical and social expert commission (MSEC) No. 2, who, according to the investigation, facilitated the rapid issuance of disability, was also sent to court. His actions are classified as official forgery committed by prior conspiracy (Part 1 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko noted that this is the first time in history that a prosecutor has been charged with illegally obtaining a disability status. According to him, during the investigation, the official was dismissed from his administrative position and a complaint was filed with the disciplinary commission for his complete dismissal from the prosecutor’s office.
Investigations into other possible cases of abuse are ongoing.
Scandal with disability of prosecutors
A scheme was uncovered in Khmelnytskyi region where dozens of prosecutors received fake lifetime disability certificates, which gave them the right to a pension and possibly avoid mobilization.
Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin resigned in October 2024 due to the massive use of such certificates by prosecutors.
Government response
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demanded Kostin’s resignation and urgent reform of disability assessment, including the disbanding of existing medical and social expert commissions by the end of 2024.
The SBU served suspicion notices to at least 64 MSEC officials for issuing unlawful certificates; more than 4,016 disability certificates were canceled.
Conclusions
- Massive cases of disability certification by prosecutors were used to purchase social benefits and potentially avoid mobilization.
- This resulted in the dismissal of the Prosecutor General, criminal proceedings against MSEC officials and one of the first prosecutors involved in the case.
- The Office of the Prosecutor General emphasizes the need for systemic vetting and disqualification. It is already reported that complaints about other cases are ongoing and investigations are expanding.
