On 10 June, officers from the State Bureau of Investigations stopped an SUV carrying Yevhen Borisov, the former head of the Odessa Military Registration and Enlistment Office, as it was leaving Kyiv. As part of criminal proceedings, law enforcement officers are conducting searches in connection with a case involving the laundering of illegally obtained funds. Borisov is a defendant in several criminal cases currently being heard in the courts of Odesa.
- The State Bureau of Investigation stopped the car of former military commissar Borisov as he was leaving Kyiv.
- Searches are being carried out in connection with a case involving the laundering of illicit funds.
- Borisov is implicated in four criminal cases being investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation.
- Borisova had previously been dismissed from her post as head of the Odessa Military Registration and Enlistment Office.
Vehicle stop and investigative actions by the State Bureau of Investigation
On 10 June, the State Bureau of Investigations stopped a BMW SUV at a roadblock on the outskirts of Kyiv, on the road leading towards Odesa. The insignia on the law enforcement officers’ uniforms identified them as SBI staff. One of the vehicle’s passengers is the former head of the Odesa Regional Territorial Recruitment Centre Yevgen Borisov. Law enforcement officers are carrying out searches as part of criminal proceedings.
Investigation of criminal proceedings
The investigative measures relate to an investigation into the laundering of funds obtained by unlawful means. Borisov is implicated in four criminal cases being investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation. These include cases concerning unauthorised absence from duty and obstruction of the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations.
The court cases and Borisov’s dismissal
The Primorsky District Court of Odessa is hearing two criminal cases in which Borisov is the defendant. By the time the investigation began, the former head of the military registration and enlistment office had already been dismissed from his post as head of the Odessa Regional Territorial Centre for Recruitment and Social Support in June 2023. The dismissal followed an order from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
The context of the investigation and previously known facts
In 2023, journalists discovered that the Borisov family had purchased property and cars worth millions of dollars on the Spanish coast whilst the war was ongoing. Following an internal investigation, law enforcement officials found no grounds to suspend Borisov, but the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has launched criminal proceedings over allegations of misconduct. Investigations are currently ongoing, which could have significant consequences for the former military commissar.
