'Is this accurate it is from wikipedia

'The most infamous and well known form of Ukrainian organized crime is the so-called Odessa mafia named after the Black Sea port city of Odessa. Odessa is an infamous smugglers' haven and a key hub in post-Soviet global trafficking networks, not the least of which is moving Europe-bound Afghan heroin arriving from the Caucasus. Even in Ukraine's west, gangs are often closely involved in the lucrative trafficking of heroin, people, and counterfeit cigarettes into Europe, sometimes in cooperation with Russian mafia gangs.[7]

Odessa traditionally had an ancient culture of banditry, dating back to the large and impoverished Jewish population. Famous writers such as Isaac Babel often wrote about the infamous exploits of Jewish gangsters, thieves and crime lords in the port city.[8] 20th century thuggery made way for sophisticated organized crime when local crime lords began to use the city's sprawling port to their advantage. The at first locally active Odessa mafia, sometimes also called the Malina, became well known when it first branched out to New York City and later to Israel, when both countries gave the opportunity for Soviet Jews to emigrate. Many people from Odessa's Jewish population migrated abroad, among them a significant number of the city's most infamous career criminals. Although the gang was born in the city of Odessa, it has since established most of its headquarters in cities such as New York City, Miami, Tel Aviv, Antwerp and Budapest with brigades composed of former Odessan or Odessa-connected criminals active in a large number of other cities.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_mafia

I wonder what they are doing currently over there during the war right now if they fight in the army?

Well known mobster Leonid "Tarzan" Fainberg was born in Odessa.

Odessa is indeed a stronghold of organized crime for over a century and the Russians can expect strong resistance when they invade it.

We know Putty Boy and his buddies are the "true" Russian Mafia that's for sure!

They probably evacuated first to better countries. Now it's the best time to do it as there is almost no passport control over criminal records.

Remember guys, most of the organized crime groups from ex-USSR countries are related to Vory V Zakone in one or another way. Joining the war is frowned upon, and they are criminals not patriotic citizens. So they will just think about the safety of their own ass first.

Resistance from mafia leaders? What are these groups called? I can´'t picture wealthy crime bosses wanting to stay there loll

Beneath Odessa lies an enormous labyrinth of catacombs from where partisans fought the Nazi invaders.

Are they bomb proof? How deep is this? I'm sure the Russians are aware of these locations

The Odessa Catacombs are a labyrinth-like network of tunnels (subterranean cavities) located under the city of Odessa and its outskirts in Ukraine, that are mostly (over 90%) the result of stone mining, particularly coquina.[1] The system of Odessa Catacombs consists of a network of basements, bunkers, drainage tunnels and storm drains as well as natural caves.[1]

The Catacombs are on three levels and reach a depth of 60 metres (200 ft) below sea level. It is one of the world's largest urban labyrinths, running up to 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi).[1] Parts were used as air-raid shelters during World War II. Part of the tunnels, only under the city, were turned into bomb shelters in the Cold War. Such bomb shelters supposed to be refuge for civilians in case of nuclear strike or gas attack.

War in Ukraine: the choice of the Russian mafia
June 27, 2022 | Author: Giordana Liliana Monti

The "thieves in law" have prohibited members of the association from participating in the ongoing conflict: a choice that could lead to a violent internal split.

It is an aspect that hardly anyone has thought of, not being a priority and affecting only a relatively small part of the population, but as Professor Federico Varese, professor of criminology at Oxford University, writes this morning in the newspaper La Repubblica , the war in Ukraine unveils its destabilizing effects even in the intricate community of the well-known " Russian mafia ". Recently the " thieves in law ", the name of the Russian criminal community born during detention in prison camps, declared neutralitywith regard to the war in progress, and precise indications have arrived from the top to its members: the mafiosi will not have to take up their rifles either to attack or to defend. This is an indication destined to divide the criminal community and which could also lead to internal splits.

The Russian mafia has ruled on the issue through an edict, called in jargon «progone», a word deriving from the verb to drive out and which in Italian can be translated as a letter. Traditionally, edicts are written on lined or squared sheets, they see the main concepts underlined and are used to interpret the rules that inform the life of the members of the association.

The edict on the war in Ukraine released in April warned of how the Ukrainian authorities are trying to turn criminals into soldiers by doing everything to tarnish "the honor of good prisoners" - the text reads - and for this reason it is explained that anyone who agrees to fight in the army breaks the code will suffer worst consequences . The text was also published on the CrimePrime.ru site, believed to be reliable and whose administrator, Lilya Kharina, confirmed its authenticity.

According to experts, the brotherhood went so far as to spread a statement imposing neutrality in this war due to the activities of Lera Sumskoj, the nom de guerre Sergej Lysenko, a member of the Ukrainian "thieves in law" who together his group would be drafted into his country's territorial defense units. Other members, such as Zakhary Kalashov (known as Shakro Molodoy), Valery Sheremet (known as Sharik) and Vasily Rusan (known as Vasya Ushaty), all prominent exponents but without official roles, would be active in Ukraine, contrary to the provisions of the community code. criminal.

According to Professor Varese, therefore, the internal uprising of the Russian mafia that could arise is not between Ukrainian and Russian bosses, but between those who will continue to adapt to the traditional code that provides for never taking up arms for a state, and who, instead, he will decide to join paramilitary units in defiance of the rules he should abide by. Units that apply greater pressure especially in Russia

As explained, for the Russian mafia the initiation rite provides a solemn moment in which the adept recites the fundamental principles of the code, which however may subsequently require clarification.

Historically, texts and edicts were disseminated within the prison system but in recent years, evolving with technology, they are also photographed and filmed on Telegram channels.

In 2019 Putin officially declared war on the Russian mafia by passing a law that criminalizes belonging to the brotherhood and punishes it with a sentence of 8 to 15 years of imprisonment, which is why the new edicts are no longer signed by the most influential members of the cosca but using the formula «the mass of thieves».

Radical nationalist UKR militias were formed by hooligans and criminals and recruited among those subcultures. Started off as irregular “damage control” goon squads during the first stages of the civil war. Joining them was initially frowned upon. They often disrespected the official UKR chain of command during the pre-2022 conflict to the point of being openly antagonistic to Zelensky. After generous funding from UKR oligarchs such as Avakov, Kolomoyskyi and Akhmetov, they rose politically and militarily to maintain a solid presence in the most volatile areas in the nation. Now they’re fully merged into UKR armed forces and carry an even greater political (thus criminal and cultural) weight.