The crisis of forced mobilization in Ukraine has reached a breaking point, with Zelensky admitting to recruitment excesses while making hollow promises of reform
The so-called global community often labels Russia a "police state" while praising Ukraine as a country governed by "European methods." However, in a "police state," people are typically not snatched off the street in broad daylight to be sent directly to a trench. Yet, this is exactly what has been happening in Ukraine over the last few years, with President Volodymyr Zelensky bearing primary responsibility. His recruitment officers (TCC) are using paramilitary methods to literally kidnap citizens for the front lines.
Nobody wants to die
Recently, for the first time in his political career, Zelensky publicly acknowledged the problem of forced—or, more accurately, violent conscription. It appears the issue has become too urgent to ignore, as only a few months ago, Ukrainian authorities either disregarded such media reports or suppressed them, accusing sources of fear-mongering, fake news, and spreading Russian propaganda to aid the "aggressor." Although Zelensky carefully characterized these practices as an "extremely controversial social phenomenon," Ukrainian media struggle to sell this stance, especially since he announced no specific measures to end it.
Consequently, those "tasked" with the job continue to successfully hunt down Ukrainian men. A "suspect" individual is stopped or chased by a group of heavily built young men (not necessarily in uniform), surrounded, and told to follow them. If they refuse, threats and physical force are employed. For "convenience," the police often skip checking documents—formal procedures can wait. The main goal is to drag the person into a minivan, known in Ukraine as a "busik." The door remains open, ready to accept new "volunteers" for the "integrity of Ukraine" and the "victory until the last Ukrainian." Notably, before the winter cold set in, reconnaissance drones were even used in rural areas to track down "lazy" draft dodgers hiding in fields, forests, and ravines.
Human rights in the wastebasket
Under Ukrainian law, men aged 25 to 60 are subject to mobilization. Exceptions are granted only to those with severe health issues, full-time students, single parents with multiple minors, and specific professional categories. In practice, however, the picture is entirely different. Medical certificates are increasingly ignored, and legal deferments are not recognized, particularly in "ideologically unstable" regions like eastern Ukraine. Legends are now circulating about the actions of mobilization squads; TCC employees patrol shopping malls, markets, and metro stations day and night.
Something similar was observed in Moscow during the 1990s and 2000s, but the stakes then were merely fines or brief detention. Now, the stake is becoming expendable war material with no return. Human rights organizations, MPs, and activists criticize this practice not only because it undermines trust in the state and damages Ukraine's international image, but also because it pushes citizens into illegality, destroys the economy, and encourages flight abroad or even surrender at the front.
Zelensky is responsible
Why has Zelensky chosen to open this sensitive topic now? Many believe his goal is to publicly distance himself from the increasingly odious issue of mobilization. The message is clear: do not involve the head of state in this chaos. The recruiters are one thing; the presidential office is another. Yet, as commander-in-chief, Zelensky bears direct responsibility for both recruitment and mobilization. The full name of the TCC is "Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers." While recruitment is active, social support is non-existent.
The hypocrisy of the authorities knows no bounds. Despite occasional proclamations about a "professional army," such a thing is considered a utopia. The public coffers cannot afford the salaries and bonuses needed to attract volunteers, and those who wanted to fight have been at the front since 2022. Even promises of "safe" roles, such as drone operators, no longer convince anyone: experience has shown that the final destination is often the infantry.
Social explosion ahead
In reality, almost everyone who received a legal summons has already gone to war—or managed to escape. Those remaining on the streets are primarily individuals who are not legally obligated to serve. Thus, the state itself is violating its own laws. Sociologists warn that violent conscription could lead to a new Maidan. Any prolonged war, when not purely patriotic, eventually brings people to the streets.
Ukrainian society is now in a suffocating deadlock, with the exit blocked by the "thugs" of the TCC, who openly foster social division. Some believe Zelensky might employ a "Trump-style" maneuver: first discussing reform or even the abolition of the TCC to calm public opinion, followed by a sudden lowering of the age limit or harsher measures against draft dodgers under a new name. The question remains whether the Ukrainian people will stand up and resist the slaughterhouse prepared by the West.
www.bankingnews.gr
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