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Viral ‘Mobilized Cat’ Returned in Kyiv Region as Recruitment Center Denies Involvement

The video became a touchpoint for anger over aggressive conscription tactics documented on Ukrainian social networks.

Overview

  • Ukrainian outlet Strana.ua reported the cat was returned to its owners, with TASS noting a village chat photo showing the animal back home.
  • The Kyiv oblast Territorial Recruitment Center issued a statement denying responsibility and criticized those who immediately blamed the agency.
  • The widely shared clip showed two men seizing a cat and putting it into a vehicle, circulating on Telegram with captions claiming a TCK “mobilization.”
  • An unverified local version circulating on Telegram alleges intoxicated staff took the animal while seeking a pet for a colleague’s child.
  • The incident is being framed within broader allegations of heavy‑handed mobilization practices, which Ukraine’s human rights commissioner has previously criticized as widespread abuses.