The Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) reports on the exposure of a group of individuals who recruited Ukrainians for use in the armed conflict in Syria.

The organizer and two accomplices were informed of the suspicion of recruiting mercenaries for the purpose of using them in armed conflicts, military or violent actions (Parts 2, 3 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 447 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). A preventive measure in the form of detention was chosen for the criminals, the PGO's press service said on Monday.

According to the investigation, from February 2020 to March 2021, a resident of Kyiv organized a scheme for making a profit by recruiting Ukrainian citizens to participate in military and violent actions on the side of opposition-minded military units in Syria. To implement his criminal intentions, he attracted two more residents of Kyiv region. They were looking for people among athletes, former military personnel, volunteers who participated in the ATO (Anti-Terrorist Operation), or those who had combat experience in handling weapons.

For participation in the armed conflict on the territory of Syria, the mercenaries were promised a monetary reward of $5,000 per month, depending on the level of their combat training.

During searches at the place of residence of the defendants, computer equipment, mobile phones, SIM cards, bank cards and flash drives were found and seized.