Ukrainian Ombudsman Alleges Killings in Draft Centers, Reports Nearly 6,000 Complaints in 2025

Overview

• Ombudsman Dmitriy Lubinets said people are being killed on the premises of territorial recruitment centers and cited one death he is personally monitoring after a man entered a center and later died in hospital.
• He reported nearly 6,000 complaints this year over recruitment-center conduct, up from 18 in 2022, about 500 in 2023, and roughly 3,500 in 2024.
• Lubinets described common abuses including confiscation of phones and other belongings, denial of calls, and detention in center facilities for days or weeks.
• He said frontline commanders do not want forcibly mobilized “busified” recruits and prefer motivated, prepared soldiers.
• He warned of growing civilian retaliation against recruitment staff and vehicles, citing arsons and a fatal attack in Lviv, while widely shared videos show forceful round-ups and prior Financial Times reporting pointed to severe manpower shortfalls.