---
title: "Major in Odessa built a house during the war: how the prosecution exposed large-scale slavery"
description: "A Major-commander in the Odesa region was detained for slave labor: he forced 83 soldiers to build him a private house and used military equipment. Prosecutor General Kравченко called it a blow to combat readiness. This is not the first such case in 2025. 🏗️🚫"
date: 2026-07-29T16:46:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/major-odesa-military-labor-investigation-en
tags: [ruslan-kravchenko, odessa, ukraine-military, corruption, ukraine-prosecutor-general]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Major in Odessa built a house during the war: how the prosecution exposed large-scale slavery

![Arrest of individuals suspected of slavery by police and military police officers against the backdrop of a house under construction near Odesa](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/29/mayor-odessa-military-labor-investigation/mayor-odessa-military-labor-investigation-1.webp)

A large-scale scheme for the illegal use of military resources has been exposed in the Odesa region. The commander of a military unit, holding the rank of Major, forced his subordinates to work on the construction of his private house for several months. The operation to stop these actions led to the discovery of 83 servicemen engaged in construction work at the site.

The investigative actions were carried out under the procedural supervision of the Odesa Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the field of defense of the Southern region. According to the Prosecutor General Ruslana Kравченко, law enforcement officers at the search site recorded not only the presence of personnel but also the use of military cargo vehicles to deliver construction materials.

### Systemic nature of violations

The collected evidence points to a systemic nature of the unlawful actions. The Major was detained and informed of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 426-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Abuse of power or official position). The commander's actions are seen not just as theft of resources, but as a direct violation of statutory duties.

Ruslana Kравченко emphasized the seriousness of the consequences of such violations for the country's defense capability: "This is not just about the illegal use of state resources. It is the diversion of servicemen from performing their direct duties, which directly affects the combat readiness of the unit in wartime".

### Series of exposures in 2025

This case became part of a series of high-profile exposures concerning command staff abuses in 2025. The situation where personnel is used for the personal purposes of superiors is being recorded in different regions of Ukraine.

In particular, in September 2025, in the Rivne region, the SBU exposed a commander who had used subordinates for more than a year and a half to build his own housing. Earlier, in April of the same year, the police uncovered a corruption scheme under which a building was built for the deputy commander of the unit for 3 million hryvnias. The money was allocated from "combat" funds — soldiers were officially listed as participants in combat operations to legitimize the expenses.

Currently, the Major from the Odesa region is in custody. The investigation continues to establish all the circumstances of the case and bring all those involved to justice.