On October 30, 2026, five employees of the Territorial Recruitment Center (TCC) in Bukovina were detained on suspicion of kidnapping and torturing men for forced mobilization. Among those detained is the head of one of the departments of the Chernivtsi district TCC and four of his subordinates.
Methods of Forced Mobilization
According to the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI), the detained individuals used violence to coerce conscripts into military service. They forcibly detained men on the streets of the city of Kitsman and then subjected them to torture in the TCC premises. In one case, a victim was shot in the leg with a traumatic weapon and was forced to extract the bullet from his wound himself.
Documented Episodes of Violence
The investigation has documented several episodes that confirm the criminal actions of the TCC employees:
- Men were forcibly detained on the streets.
- Use of traumatic weapons against one of the victims.
- Coercing conscripts into mobilization through physical pressure.
- Kidnapping of a combatant who defended Kyiv, Irpin, and Bakhmut.
- Receiving a bribe of €5,500 for the release of a detained individual.
Legal Consequences
All five detained TCC employees have already been charged. According to information from the Office of the Prosecutor General, two of them are in custody without the right to bail, while one has been placed under house arrest. The most severe penalty for the charges carries a sentence of up to 12 years in prison. The investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement continues to gather evidence.