A former Ukrainian culture minister has been charged for allegedly collaborating in a scheme that enabled military-age men to leave the country under the pretext of participating in fabricated music tours to avoid military service amid the ongoing war. This information was confirmed by Ukraine’s Attorney General Ruslan Kravcenko, as reported by EFE on Saturday.
While the statement from the Prosecutor’s Office did not specify the name of the individual, Ukrainian media reports suggest it likely refers to Rostislav Karandeiev, who served as acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy from July 2023 to September 2024.
The Prosecutor’s Office explained that the scheme was disguised as a journey to perform charity concerts abroad, with the men involved falsely presented as band members, despite lacking any genuine musical connections.
In one case, the Border Police grew suspicious of the group and initially denied them exit. Following this, the former culture minister reportedly sent another letter demanding the group’s right to cross the border, which ultimately allowed eight military-age men to leave the country.
The Prosecutor’s Office did not disclose when these events allegedly took place or what compensation the former minister might have received. He has been accused of facilitating illegal trafficking of persons across the state border.
The National Police further clarified in a statement that, according to the purported scheme, a company was established to arrange the alleged music tours, with around $13,000 being charged for a spot in the “band.”
This network was reportedly dismantled in April of this year, with a total of 28 men having used it to exit the country, while another 16 were planning to do so.
In addition to the former minister, who allegedly signed documents endorsing these “tours,” four other individuals are suspected of recruiting clients and organizing payments in cryptocurrency.
