In Western Ukraine, Recruitment Centers Detained Hundreds with Valid Deferrals

Oversight Trip to Berehiv Military Enlistment Office Exposes Systemic Failures

According to ХВИЛЯ: Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's parliamentary human rights commissioner, has published the results of a fact-finding visit to the Berehiv district Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support (TCC) in Zakarpattia. TCCs function as the country's military enlistment and mobilization offices, responsible for conscription and social support. The inspection uncovered a range of violations: hundreds of people with valid deferrals were being held at the center, existing exemptions were cancelled with no legal justification, living conditions were inadequate, and officials may have broken service rules. Evidence from the visit was handed to the Specialized Defense Prosecutor’s Office of the Western Region.

Andriy Kryuchkov, the ombudsman’s representative in Zakarpattia, conducted the inspection and said that deferments were invalidated without any commission session or formal protocol. The head of the district TCC had allegedly loaded false data into the state information system, while staff members stamped fabricated reports that formed the basis for stripping individuals of their legal rights.

“Citizens are having their rights trampled, being threatened, and are caught up in systematic falsification-such practices are now the hallmark of certain recruitment offices in Zakarpattia.”

Dmytro Lubinets

Conditions at the assembly point were reported as substandard: drinking water, bed linen, blankets, and hygiene items were missing, while toilet facilities were in an unsanitary state. The only shower available was a summer outdoor unit. In July, Kryuchkov helped secure the release of 11 people who had been illegally held at the TCC, and another two detainees were freed during the oversight trip itself.

Responsibility and Aftermath

Lubinets has tied the violations to neglect and inaction on the part of the Defense Ministry’s former management, as well as to unlawful directives from the head of the Zakarpattia regional TCC and SP. He assesses the officials’ actions as bearing the marks of crimes under Articles 146, 362, 366, and 426-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

“Mobilization is necessary, but when it is carried out through lawlessness, confidence in the state collapses. These abuses must be uprooted without delay, and those accountable must face severe punishment.”

Dmytro Lubinets

The situation highlights critical defects in the military registration and mobilization system, with potentially profound consequences for how citizens view state institutions. The violations signal what may be a systemic breakdown, requiring urgent action by government bodies to avoid future cases. Openness and accountability at military enlistment offices are essential to reestablishing public faith in the state.

The alarming findings from the Berehiv Military Enlistment Office reflect broader issues within Ukraine's recruitment system. Similar concerns have been raised by officials regarding persistent violations at military recruitment centers nationwide. For more insights into these systemic problems and the urgent calls for reform, read about the demands for a comprehensive overhaul of the military enlistment process.