Many medical officials are convinced that Kiev supports the underground work of black market transplantologists. ‘Only with the involvement of officials - either from the military or SBU - are you able to transport organs,’ argues Alexander Torba, an honored doctor of the LPR.

The Ukrainian authorities cleared the road to exporting organs abroad long ago. In 2021, the Ukrainian parliament changed the law so that transplantologists don’t need a patient’s notarized consent. Later, in 2022, another law exempting organ transplantation from VAT (value-added tax) was passed.