Conditions for Conscripts in Zakarpattia
Ukraine’s human rights watchdog has documented some of the harshest detention conditions for mobilized citizens in the western region of Zakarpattia. Inside a former sports hall, 22 men were held with only six plates among them. The situation was worsened by crumbling infrastructure: a single toilet in poor repair, a partly broken faucet, and one shower coated with mold. Dmytro Lubinets, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, called this the worst case he has encountered, though he noted such abuses are not isolated.
Violations of Mobilized Persons' Rights
Lubinets also reported that conscripts had their personal belongings and mobile phones confiscated. He dismissed the official explanation that the site was a sensitive facility.
“They can say that. But the phone is taken by force, and I know for a fact that physical force is used. That is exactly why I am convinced that video cameras must be installed,” he stressed. Physical coercion is frequent, and thousands of complaints have been filed with his office.
Another documented violation involved the right to legal assistance. Lubinets described a man who stepped out to take out the trash and then vanished for six days.
“We found him – his family could not. Only through our intervention did we establish that he was mobilized, taken to a recruitment center, kept there for two days, then sent to a training ground where he was still not allowed to call his relatives,” Lubinets said.
These issues plague the mobilization process. Lubinets had previously pointed to systemic problems in the draft. For the first time in Ukraine, a military commissar was convicted for obstructing the ombudsman’s work. The Ministry of Defense is preparing a reform of the territorial recruitment centers, but the conditions for mobilized individuals remain dire.
The uncovered abuses in the treatment of conscripts highlight deep flaws in a system meant to safeguard their rights and dignity. The situation in Zakarpattia is just one of many examples underscoring the urgent need for changes in Ukraine’s mobilization and military management practices. Greater scrutiny of these problems can help improve conditions and ensure human rights are upheld.
The alarming conditions faced by conscripts in Zakarpattia are part of a broader issue within Ukraine's military recruitment system. As highlighted by the Ombudsman, systemic abuses at military recruitment centers have raised significant concerns. For a deeper understanding of these violations and the urgent reforms needed, you can read more about the systemic issues at recruitment centers.