Ten service members of one of the district Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers in Odesa have been notified of suspicion of unlawfully depriving citizens of their liberty and torturing them. The suspects have been detained. This was reported by Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, UNN writes.
"Mobilization is an obligation. Torture is a crime. Today, ten service members of one of the district Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers in Odesa were notified of suspicion of unlawfully depriving citizens of their liberty and torturing them," the Prosecutor General said.
The suspects have been detained. The issue of choosing preventive measures is being decided.
According to the investigation, for several months they unlawfully detained people, used tear gas, beat them, and forcibly took them to the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center. In one episode, a man was hit by an official vehicle in order to detain him. Another man was strangled, beaten, handcuffed, and, under threats, forced to provide his phone password.
According to Kravchenko, at least eight victims have been identified so far.
"There is one more detail. Seven of the ten suspects were mobilized in the spring of 2025 and immediately sent to serve at an Odesa Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center. The state gave them uniforms, authority, and responsibility. According to the investigation, they used this authority to unlawfully commit violence against people," the Prosecutor General wrote.
Ruslan Kravchenko emphasized that mobilization is necessary for the country's defense, but the need for it does not give anyone the right to violate the law.
"Ukraine is at war. Our military personnel have been on the front line for years and need reinforcements. Mobilization is necessary for the defense of the state, while evasion, corruption, and illegal schemes for obtaining deferments must receive an appropriate legal assessment. The need for mobilization does not give anyone the right to violate the law.
Therefore, the prosecutor's office's position is simple: we do not divide people by uniform, position, or status: those who evade fulfilling their duty to the state must be held accountable under the law. And those who use unlawful violence on behalf of the state must be held accountable in the same way," the Prosecutor General emphasized.