The official, who has in the past reportedly called war veterans a threat, allegedly profited illegally amid mobilization efforts
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has accused a senior military psychologist of illegally amassing some $1 million since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022.
Controversial Ukrainian MP Aleksey Goncharenko, has named the official in question as psychologist Oleg Druz, who was fired in 2017 over remarks about Donbass conflict veterans, deemed controversial in Kiev.
The SBU announced the allegations on Tuesday without naming the suspect, identifying him only as the chief psychiatrist of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and deputy chairman of the medical commission responsible for assessing recruits’ fitness for service.
He stands accused of using family members and associates to conceal his illegal gains, according to the statement. Goncharenko subsequently published what he believes to be the identity of the suspect.
When the predominantly Russian-speaking Donbass region rejected the authorities who came to power in Ukraine following the 2014 Euromaidan coup, Kiev launched what it called an ‘Anti-Terrorist Operation’ in the region. While ‘volunteer battalions’ of hardcore nationalists were eager to fight, the government also resorted to several waves of conscription.
: Trump suspends US foreign aid
Druz argued at the time that many of the troops returned scarred by the experience of warfare, and required treatment for various mental health conditions. His comments sparked outrage among veterans’ organizations and led to his reported dismissal by the Defense Ministry.
The Ukrainian media further accused Druz of taking bribes and highlighted his marriage to a Russian citizen. Reports in 2022, which referred to him as the chief military psychologist, noted that he had been embroiled in a court battle over property which officials alleged to have been criminally obtained.
Kiev is currently struggling to meet its military mobilization targets, as many fighting-age men are avoiding the draft, including by bribing medical officials to falsely certify them as unfit for duty.
Read more at RT