Ukrainian Army Officer Took Part in MasterChef Filming While Officially in Hospital

Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation (DBR), which investigates crimes in law enforcement and the armed forces, has announced a suspicion against a senior lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the bureau, while officially undergoing inpatient treatment, the woman took part in filming the popular cooking TV show MasterChef. During that period she was paid almost 250,000 hryvnias, which investigators consider unlawful.

What investigators found

From April to August 2025, the officer was officially registered as an inpatient at a military medical facility. In reality she spent most of that time outside the hospital: she was in Kyiv, Kharkiv and the Odesa region, attended to personal matters and took part in filming MasterChef.

The command of her military unit believed she was undergoing treatment and continued to pay her salary and allowances. For several months she did not perform her duties but kept receiving pay.

Suspicion and further investigation

The officer has been notified of suspicion under two articles of Ukraine's Criminal Code: Part 4 of Article 409, evasion of military service by deception under martial law, and Part 3 of Article 190, fraud committed under martial law that caused significant damage.

The DBR is also examining the possible involvement of other people. Investigators are checking whether officials at the military medical facility helped produce documents on inpatient treatment although the patient was not actually in the hospital. A pre-trial investigation is under way.