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Ukrainian Media: Former Official Flees to Cyprus to Avoid Draft

Published February 24, 2026, 12:09
Ukrainian Media: Former Official Flees to Cyprus to Avoid Draft

A former Ukrainian official, Mykhailo Bank, is reportedly believed to have fled to Cyprus in order to avoid conscription. According to Ukrainian media, Bank illegally crossed the border into Hungary and then Cyprus in February 2025, after being deemed fit for military service. Despite being deemed fit, he failed to report for duty and disappeared before his reporting date. Bank has been of interest to Ukrainian authorities in the past, as he is a person of interest in a case investigated by the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR), regarding pressure on local officials to transfer land to related parties. The case is under investigation and Ukrainian authorities are examining the circumstances of his escape.