Ukraine Criminal Group ‘Made Money’ Renting Out Free Dorms To Displaced War Victims

A criminal group in Ukraine’s Cherkasy region has made a living by renting out free dorm rooms to people who have been displaced by the invasion, authorities said.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) on Wednesday said that officials of a critical infrastructure facility that owned the dormitories colluded with a realtor to extort displaced war victims of monthly payments worth between UAH 1,500 ($50) to 4,000 ($135) for a room. The price per room was based on the number of occupants.

Renters who were not able to pay for the rooms on time were threatened with eviction, despite the fact that the Ukrainian government offered the dormitories for free and was covering all costs of living for displaced war victims.

“In Cherkasy region, the SSU dismantled a criminal group that ‘made money’ on internally displaced persons. The crooks demanded payment for living in the city’s dormitories, which were actually free for this category of people,” the SSU wrote in a report.

The criminal group found potential renters through personal contacts as well as advertisements they placed on the internet. Victims of the group included families with small children and pregnant women who fled from temporarily-occupied regions in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Members of the group have now been detained by Ukrainian authorities for violating Article 368.3 of the CCU, which forbids acceptance of an offer, promise or receipt of an illegal benefit by an official. The SSU added that it is still conducting investigations to identify other people involved in the scheme.

At least a third of Ukraine’s population has been forced from their homes since Russia launched the invasion in February, including more than 6.27 million people displaced inside Ukraine, according to data from the International Organization for Migration.

Most of the displaced Ukrainians are now coming from the eastern part of the country, which has seen heavy artillery strikes and fighting over the past weeks as Russians attempt to take control of the provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk, which together make up the Donbas region.

Many displaced war victims are facing shortages of food, water and basic necessities. Additionally, many also lack access to healthcare services and medications, according to a press release from the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.