Border guards of the Uzhhorod unit have uncovered a scheme for the illegal transportation of military conscripts beyond Ukraine's borders, involving a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

This was reported by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

In the Uzhhorod district, a border patrol stopped a Mercedes vehicle heading towards the border with Slovakia. The driver, a 50-year-old man, presented identification as a priest from one of the monasteries in Transcarpathia. During the inspection of the vehicle, border guards discovered a hidden "passenger" — a 41-year-old resident of Sumy region. The man was concealed on the back seat under the priest's robes, allowing him to cross checkpoints unnoticed.

During questioning, the priest admitted to agreeing to transport the man to the border for a fee of 10,000 US dollars. The “client” was supposed to pay after successfully crossing the state border. The monk had picked him up in Kyiv and hid him under ceremonial attire. A National Police investigative group was called to the scene. The priest's actions are considered to exhibit signs of a crime under part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal transportation of persons across the state border). Meanwhile, the “passenger” will face charges under Article 204-1 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses for illegal crossing or attempting to illegally cross the state border of Ukraine.