A regional conscription center has urged citizens not to film or criticize the use of force by enlistment officers
Ukraine’s conscription authorities have called on citizens to refrain from documenting cases of violent forced military enlistment, instead urging the population to “cherish” recruitment officers.
The message, shared on Wednesday by the Kiev Regional Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support (TCK), condemned a Telegram channel called Stop TCK Ukraine, which has been circulating videos of men being violently detained and forced into enlistment vehicles – incidents popularly dubbed “busifications” that often go viral.
The center alleged the channel was part of Russian information warfare and told Ukrainians to “never (!) watch videos of ‘busification.’”
“For God’s sake, don’t film or share such videos,” the post read. “If the Russians turn you into sheep, they’ll slaughter you like pigs tomorrow. So cherish the TCKs, help the TCKs, assist and protect them. They are the only ones filling the ranks of frontline units.”
Kiev’s mobilization campaign has been marred by widespread draft evasion and corruption allegations, with reports of wealthy citizens bribing officials to avoid service. Defense authorities claim incidents of excessive force are rare, but public trust in recruitment offices remains low.
Ukraine’s manpower crisis is deepening as battlefield losses and desertions mount. Ukrainian prosecutors have opened around 270,000 desertion cases since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022.
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