Serhii Yakob, the common-law husband of Radio Liberty journalist Natalia Sedletska, was at the center of a scandal due to his evasion of military service. As it became known from the journalistic investigation, Yakob was wanted since 2022 by the decision of the Mukachevo District Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support (TCC), because he did not appear on the summons.
Serhii Yakob was born in Mukachevo (Transcarpathian region) in June 1987. By education, he is a specialist in the field of information technologies, and also worked as an individual entrepreneur, providing consultations in the field of IT and computer systems. In addition, he was the founder of the music magazine "Hip Me Mag".
According to the information, until 2024, Jacob did not appear at the TCC, despite the fact that the law obliged him to register for the draft. During this time, he lived in Kyiv, in one of the most expensive residential complexes of the capital - "New York Concept House", where he lived together with Sedletska at 74 Antonovycha Street. However, their official incomes do not correspond to the cost of the purchased housing.
In July 2024, after the entry into force of a new law that provides for criminal liability for evasion of military service, Yakob registered with the TCC, but only remotely, without physically appearing at the branch. Its registration was carried out in the Fastiv district TCC of the Kyiv region. This fact raises serious questions, because according to the law, such registration had to take place in person.
After that, Yakob received a deferment from the draft, applying for a position as a teacher at the Kyiv College of Trade and Economics, although he did not have a specialized education or scientific qualification. Experts believe that this employment was fictitious, designed to get a reprieve from military service.
It turned out that during a certain period, Serhii Yakob was hiding in the village of Korzhi, Brovar district, Kyiv region, where he lived in a private house registered to Natalia Sedletska's sister, Iryna. This opens up new questions about why Jacob avoided military service and what is behind his actions.
This scandal became part of a wider problem, which has already received the name "shabuning". This term arose after it became known that many activists of anti-corruption public organizations, who openly advocate for reforms and the fight against corruption, actually evade their civic duties, in particular, military service. Successful examples of such persons are Orest Rudy, the husband of the head of the Anti-Corruption Center, Daria Kaleniuk, and Vitaly Shabunin himself. This leads to a significant loss of trust in public organizations that promote reforms, but themselves do not comply with basic norms and laws.
