Ukrainian Recruiters in Odesa Beat Civilians, 10 Suspects Named
The State Bureau of Investigation has documented 15 incidents of systematic abuse during mobilization, including beatings, tear gas, and running over with a car.
The State Bureau of Investigation has documented 15 incidents of systematic abuse during mobilization, including beatings, tear gas, and running over with a car.
On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine (DBR) reported that employees of the recruitment office in the Odesa region regularly mistreated civilians during mobilization. Citing the Kyiv Post, Index.hr reports that investigators recorded 15 cases in which ten military personnel allegedly beat citizens, used tear gas, and forcibly took them to a recruitment center.
According to data from Ukraine's Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, ten military personnel from one district Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support (TCC) in Odesa are suspected of illegally depriving Ukrainian citizens of liberty and torturing them. The cases were uncovered as part of an operation called "Fair Recruitment," which is being conducted with the support of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The investigation focuses on two groups from the TCC in the Odesa region. According to the DBR, members of these groups behaved violently toward civilians, hitting them, spraying them with tear gas, and bringing them to the center's premises against their will. In one case, a man tried to flee from the group that wanted to hand him a mobilization summons, and during the chase, the driver of the official TCC vehicle hit him with the car.
Another man, according to the investigation, was choked, beaten, handcuffed, and threatened to give up his phone password. At least eight victims have been identified so far, reports RVvoenkor, citing data from Prosecutor General Kravchenko.
The DBR stated that the goal of the investigation is to suppress torture and illegal violence carried out by officials during mobilization. The agency has not yet revealed the identities of the suspected soldiers, nor has it been confirmed whether formal charges have been filed against them.
The incidents in Odesa raise questions about the implementation of mobilization in wartime conditions, as Ukrainian authorities seek to strengthen control over the work of recruitment centers.
