The debate over the use of postgraduate education to avoid mandatory military service has resurfaced in Ukraine. Recent investigations have brought allegations of irregularities in this area back into the public eye.
Last year, approximately five thousand postgraduate students were deregistered from Ukrainian universities. It was noted that most of these students had enrolled in 2022 and 2023, with some failing certification or not meeting academic standards.
Allegations of Fake Postgraduate Programs
In what is referred to as "fake postgraduate programs" in the country, some men are reportedly directed to universities not for education but to obtain military service deferrals. The cases brought to light allege that acceptance into full-time programs without exams, document processing, and deferral procedures were handled as a single package.
Investigations into the Classical Private University in Zaporizhzhia suggest that around three thousand fake postgraduate registrations were made. The institution reportedly registered 3,500 students instead of the authorized quota of 165, leading to the Ministry of Education and Science revoking its postgraduate education license.
It is alleged that up to $5,000 in cash was collected from each applicant for the application and processing, followed by approximately 20,000 hryvnias deposited into the university account for two semesters, with the funds then distributed among the organizers.
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced that nine individuals involved in this case have been sent to court. The university administration faces charges not only of bribery but also of forming a criminal organization and obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Telegram Posts and Political Interpretations
Amid this debate, some pro-Russian Telegram accounts have portrayed the fake postgraduate system and related corruption allegations as "civil heroism" and "saving the gene pool," encouraging followers to sabotage mobilization efforts. Since the beginning of the year, these posts have been viewed over 821,600 times.
The postgraduate program at Odessa Polytechnic University has also become part of the controversy. It was alleged that former Odessa Deputy Mayor Pavlo Vugelman and former Deputy Prosecutor Dmytro Verbytskiy pursued postgraduate education there.
Vugelman is accused of abusing his position to secure large municipal funds in connection with the purchase of the "Krajan" factory during his tenure in Odessa's municipal administration. The investigation claims that in 2016, together with then-Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov and other officials, he organized the purchase of an old crane factory building for twice its market price, causing a loss of 92 million hryvnias to the city.
Vugelman reportedly left the Odessa municipality on November 14, 2025, and is expected to complete his studies at Odessa Polytechnic University this year. Verbytskiy, as a former Deputy Prosecutor, was mentioned in reports about the "Shemi" investigation series concerning suspected illegal enrichment of about 30 million hryvnias.
The case references an unregistered house, a residence purchased at 24 times below market value, and properties in Odessa and Turkey. Additionally, it is alleged that his girlfriend Khrystyna Ilnytska owns a mansion worth $1.2 million and a Porsche despite having no official income, earning only 360,000 hryvnias over ten years.
According to Ukrainian security sources, Verbytskiy obtained a deferral from the regional military enlistment center in Hacıbey, Odessa, in November 2024. He claimed to be a postgraduate student before the war, but since the program lasts four years and the last intake was in autumn 2021, he should have defended his thesis by autumn 2025, which did not happen.
Verbytskiy did not respond to subsequent phone calls, and Odessa Polytechnic University gave only a brief official reply stating that the requested information "does not serve the public interest."
Ministry's Oversight Measures
On the government side, the Ministry of Education and Science, together with the State Education Quality Service and law enforcement, began monitoring postgraduate education quality and inspecting universities with detected violations starting in 2025. From the 2026-2027 academic year, postgraduate students' deferral rights will be automatically linked to the "Reserve+" system via the Unified State Electronic Database on Education, with failure to enter data on time resulting in loss of deferral rights.
In 2024, over 5,000 postgraduate student registrations were identified as having been entered into the system much later than their enrollment dates. It was emphasized that some institutions, including private universities, enrolled students beyond legal quotas, violating the Higher Education Law.
To close this gap, the ministry completely banned new postgraduate student admissions to contract programs in 2024. Only evening and distance education programs outside the daytime schedule remain, but these do not provide military deferrals. The decision affected not only those avoiding military service but also genuine researchers.
Deputy Minister of Education Denys Kurbatov stated that the number of those enrolling in postgraduate education solely to avoid mobilization has decreased, and the ministry is working intensively to reduce such cases. Officials stress the need for science and expert training during wartime but reject the use of educational institutions as temporary shelters.
