During the full-scale war against Russia, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine issued permits to travel abroad to nearly 3,000 men, who did not return afterwards. This was stated by People’s Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
According to him, the system for issuing exit permits is often abused and has been used not only for official cultural or humanitarian missions. As an example, he cited the case of Viktor Zherebnyuk, a member of parliament from the former pro-Russian party OPZZh. In July 2022, he left Ukraine with documents issued by the Ministry of Culture as part of the film crew of the 1+1 TV channel, where he was listed as a ‘stagehand’ (stage worker). The MP subsequently purchased real estate in Poland and Spain, spending around one million euros.
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Zheleznyak also said that, according to documents from the Ministry of Culture, well-known show business figures regularly leave the country. In particular, he said, the director of the series Servant of the People, Oleksiy Kyryushchenko, travels abroad under the pretext of ‘searching for stories for state television channels.’
In addition, according to the deputy, more than 70 men left Ukraine, officially employed by circus troupes, after which they went on tour and did not return.
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The MP also published a rating of ministries that most often issue permits for conscripts to travel abroad. According to Zheleznyak, such permits are most often issued by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
We remind you that, according to current legislation, during martial law, men of conscription age can leave Ukraine only with special permits issued by authorised state bodies. In particular, such permits are often granted for participation in international sporting, humanitarian or cultural events.
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