Kostin is stepping down following a draft-dodging scandal involving Ukrainian officials, including employees of the Prosecutor General’s Office, who reportedly obtained disability certificates through bribes to avoid serving in the Ukrainian Army.
According to Ukrainian law, individuals with disabilities are exempt from military service and receive benefits from government programs.
- Prosecutor General Kostin has aligned with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s stance on the necessity of personal responsibility for the lack of investigation into these criminal incidents.
- “I am grateful to the President of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Parliament for their trust. However, in this situation, I believe it is appropriate to announce my resignation as Prosecutor General,” Kostin said.
- On 4 October, the State Bureau of Investigation reported that Tetiana Krupa, head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Medical-Social Expertise Center, and her son, who held a managerial position in the Pension Fund in Khmelnytskyi, were caught in illegal enrichment.
- During searches, nearly $6 million in cash was found, including $100,000 in Krupa’s office alone.
October 23, 2024
By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
Ukraine's Prosecutor-General Resigns Amid Draft-Dodging Scandal
Andriy Kostin, Ukraine’s top state prosecutor, resigns in fallout from draft-dodging scandal
Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Andriy Kostin has resigned amid investigations that found dozens of government officials had dodged military service by claiming disability benefits.
Mobilization is a very sensitive issue in Ukraine, whose troop numbers have been depleted after more than 2 1/2 years of fighting Russia's invasion.
Kostin announced his resignation on October 22 on Telegram after a meeting of Ukraine's National Security Council attended by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who said Kostin "should take political responsibility" for corruption and n loopholes being used to get draft deferrals.
"The problem is not just that officials use their connections to get disabled status. It is also the fact that people who are really disabled, especially in combat, often do not get the appropriate status and fair payment," Zelenskiy said.
"The problem is not just that officials use their connections to get disabled status. It is also the fact that people who are really disabled, especially in combat, often do not get the appropriate status and fair payment," Zelenskiy said.
Kostin's resignation still needs parliamentary approval, but that is expected to move through the legislature with little resistance, as Zelenskiy's party holds a majority of the seats.
"I consider the position of President Zelenskiy to be absolutely correct.... I [also] think it is correct to announce my resignation as prosecutor-general," Kostin said on Telegram.
Soon after Kostin's resignation, Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal announced the dismissal of
- several other senior officials,
- the management of the central commission overseeing fitness for service, and
- officials in the Health Ministry who coordinate the activities of local commissions.
Highlighting the growing unrest over the issue of mobilization, protesters in August tried to force their way into a military recruitment center in Ukraine to demand the release of four young men who they claimed were illegally detained amid the country's increased mobilization efforts.
Days earlier, Zelenskiy endorsed bills extending martial law and a general military mobilization for 90 days, the 11th time he had done so since the war broke out.
Days earlier, Zelenskiy endorsed bills extending martial law and a general military mobilization for 90 days, the 11th time he had done so since the war broke out.
Ukraine’s top Prosecutor Kostin resigns over draft-dodging scandal involving government officials
The incident, which implicates prosecutors and other state officials, has led to national investigations.
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