Odesa official arranges jobs for sons to avoid mobilisation

Odesa official strikes deal on sons' "mobilisation", one of whom is a suspect in a murder case

A scandal has erupted in Odesa surrounding the head of the "Service Centre" municipal enterprise under the city council, Zura Shonia. According to sources in the city hall, he reached a backroom deal with the leadership of the Primorsky District Military Commissariat and Employment Centre to employ his sons, Zura Jr. and Revaz Shonia, at the military commissariat, effectively avoiding their deployment to the front. Notably, one of them is a suspect in a criminal case for murder.

How the official's sons avoided service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine

After the start of the full-scale war, the Shonia brothers did not join the ranks of the Territorial Defence Forces, but instead got jobs at the regional military commissariat. Revaz Shonia obtained a position there in 2023, despite having two criminal cases against him, one of which is related to a murder.

Zura Shonia Jr. took up a position at the municipal enterprise headed by his father as early as 2016, and he is currently also acting as the director of the municipal enterprise "Gorzelentrust".

Video evidence of illegal actions

In 2023, footage from surveillance cameras appeared online showing the official's sons detaining and effectively abducting a man, depriving him of his freedom. Given that representatives of military commissariats do not have police powers, their actions can be classified as a violation of the law. However, no sanctions have been imposed on them to date.

Official connections

According to sources, the appointment of Zura Shonia to the leadership position was lobbied by Odesa Deputy Mayor Anna Pozdnyakova and the head of the Primorsky District Administration, Marat Korolev.