The Cherkasy District Court of the Cherkasy region issued a verdict in the case of forgery and use of a combatant's certificate.
The court established that a citizen, in order to obtain benefits for combatants for free travel on public transport, having access to the combatant's certificate issued to his son by the Personnel Department of the Headquarters of the Naval Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on August 31, 2023, with the aim of its further use for free travel on free transport, in the period from October 2024 to June 27, 2025, the exact time and date of which could not be established by the investigation, while at his place of residence, by pasting his own photograph, forged the above-mentioned certificate, which gives the right to benefits established by the legislation of Ukraine, for the purpose of using the latter.
Subsequently, on June 27, 2025, the citizen used the above-mentioned knowingly forged document to identify himself by presenting it and providing it upon the lawful request of an employee of the Special Police Department of the Regional Police Department No. 1 of the Cherkasy Regional Unit of the Main Police Department in the Cherkasy region in accordance with Article 32 of the Law of Ukraine "On the National Police" and Article 22 of the Law of Ukraine "On Mobilization Training and Mobilization".
Police officers discovered that the identity card of a combatant had been altered by pasting a photo over the original one, which was grounds for criminal prosecution.
The court in case No. 707/2937/25 (1-кп/707/243/25) found the citizen guilty of committing criminal offenses provided for in parts 1 and 4 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and imposed a sentence
– under Part 1 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine in the form of restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year and 3 months;
– under Part 4 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine in the form of restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year.
Based on Part 1 of Article 70 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, for the totality of the above-mentioned offenses, by absorbing a less severe punishment with a more severe punishment, the citizen was sentenced to a final punishment in the form of restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year and 3 months with a probationary period of 1 year.
Also, the court, in accordance with clauses 1-2 of part 1 and clause 2 of part 3 of Article 76 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, obliged the convict not to travel outside Ukraine without the permission of the authorized body for probation, to periodically appear for registration with the authorized body for probation, and to notify the authorized body for probation about a change in place of residence, work, or study.