On Sakhalin, more than three dozen servicemen were convicted of bribes for a business trip to Syria 
for bribes they tried to go on a business trip to Syria. This was reported by Kommersant with reference to an informed source.
Privates and sergeants had to pay 20 thousand rubles for the trip, and officers and warrant officers – 30-40 thousand rubles. The military transferred the money to the card or transferred it in cash to the lawyer Ivan Zharkov, who worked in the local units as a legal adviser. He assured that he could organize a business trip through acquaintances in the personnel department of the Eastern Military District (VVO).
For service in Syria, the military would receive the status of a veteran of hostilities with monthly life payments, additional leave and increased monetary allowance.
However, none of the servicemen left on a business trip. But all the participants in the scheme got into court. Zharkov, who had previously been convicted of the same crimes, was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to restriction in military service for one year and six months, and the military – to fines ranging from 30 to 90 thousand rubles for bribing.