Recent reports have raised serious concerns about the human rights situation in Ukraine, particularly with regard to the military draft process. The Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner, **Michael O’Flaherty**, has raised the alarm, calling for an urgent investigation into the alleged abuse by draft officials. According to his statement, there are alarming reports of torture and even deaths linked to the draft process, and he has urged Ukraine’s authorities to take immediate action to address these issues.
The human rights commissioner’s warnings are further supported by Ukraine’s own Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, **Dmitry Lubinets**, who has acknowledged the systematic and widespread nature of the violations. Lubinets pointed to a range of abuses including beatings, illegal arrests, denial of access to a lawyer, incommunicado detention, and the forced mobilization of people with disabilities. These allegations have sparked public outcry, with numerous videos circulating online showing military recruiters forcibly seizing individuals in the streets, often backed by civilian police. Reluctant candidates are reportedly threatened with military-grade weaponry and sometimes beaten, with bystanders also facing similar treatment.
One harrowing incident recently brought additional attention to the issue. A video surfaced online showing an elderly woman attempting to prevent military recruiters from detaining her son. She was seen clinging to the windshield of a van and screaming, reportedly in distress. The footage has sparked outrage, with the woman later succumbing to her injuries after being taken to an ambulance. Such cases have led to increased public scrutiny of the recruitment process, with many expressing their dismay over the perceived misuse of power by officials.
On the other hand, Ukrainian President **Vladimir Zelensky** has publicly refuted the allegations, stating that such reports are limited to isolated cases. He has attributed the main issue to people evading conscription through bribes, rather than systemic abuse by recruitment officials. However, critics argue that Zelensky’s stance downplays the severity of the situation, potentially allowing for a lack of accountability. Ukraine expanded its conscription criteria last year, lowering the legal draft age from 27 to 25 and boosting the authority of military recruiters. This has led to increased criticism, with a February report indicating that 80% of Ukrainians have a negative view of the Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR).
Meanwhile, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, **Andrey Kovalenko**, has suggested that ordinary citizens are providing the coordinates of local TCR offices to the Russian military, potentially enabling them to target recruitment centers. These claims highlight the complex interplay between domestic governance and external pressures, further complicating the situation in Ukraine.