Owner of 'Trukha' channels Lavrynenko detained by TCC military. Ministry of Defense assures no 'personal' instructions were given

In Lviv, military personnel from the Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) detained and brought Maksym Lavrynenko, the owner of the Ukrainian Telegram channel "Truha," to the recruitment center to update his data due to the absence of a deferment or reservation in the registries. Lavrynenko claimed he was being "tracked" allegedly on the personal orders of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov; however, the ministry rejects these accusations, UNN reports. 

The Lviv Regional Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center provides clarification regarding information circulating on social media concerning the circumstances of the delivery of Ukrainian citizen Maksym Lavrynenko to one of the district TRCs in the city of Lviv. The publications claim that the citizen was allegedly "tracked down," "detained by five TRC representatives," and that the actions themselves supposedly took place "on the personal orders of the Minister of Defense." This information does not correspond to the established circumstances, 

It is reported that on June 5, during joint activities with a representative of the National Police of Ukraine in the Zaliznychnyi district of Lviv, a check of the citizen's military registration documents was conducted. 

During the check, it was established that the available registration data did not confirm a valid deferment or reservation.

Following this, the citizen was taken to the Lychakivsko-Zaliznychnyi District TRC to clarify military registration data and undergo procedures defined by law, including a medical examination to determine the degree of fitness for military service.

The actions of the officials were carried out within the powers provided by current legislation, in cooperation with a representative of the National Police,

The Ministry of Defense stated that no personal instructions from the leadership of the Ministry of Defense regarding individual citizens exist or can exist. Such decisions are made exclusively by authorized officials within the powers defined by law.

This is a massive information attack due to the start of tough anti-corruption actions. It began immediately after the Ministry of Defense made a series of decisions that effectively blocked opportunities for corrupt officials to profit from defense procurement and other processes within the department. Recent decisions by the department have significantly limited opportunities for abuse in the field of defense procurement and other processes. That is why the smear campaigns aimed at the ministry and its leadership are not accidental. Closing down corruption schemes always provokes resistance from those who have lost illegal sources of income. But this will not change the ministry's course toward transparency, accountability, and cleaning up the system, 

It should be noted that earlier "Truha-Ukraine" promised to release information about corruption in drone procurement, allegedly organized by Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Subsequently, the channel owner Maksym Lavrynenko reported that while working on the investigation, the team faced serious pressure, and he personally was "effectively tracked down and detained by five TRC representatives." 

For the past month, my team and I have been working on a series of materials related to the defense sector and the use of budget funds, asking many uncomfortable questions to government representatives. During our work, we faced serious pressure. I was effectively tracked down and detained by five TRC representatives. According to our information, this happened on the personal orders of Defense Minister Fedorov. Also, threats from the advisor to the Minister of Defense, Sternenko, and the spread of fakes are part of the campaign against me. Simply put, they are trying to "shut our mouths" because we became interested in the topic of defense procurement and we care. This story could turn out to be one of the largest corruption scandals in Ukraine's defense sector since the start of the full-scale war, 

As a reminder

Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, along with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Andriy Hnatov, held an online meeting with over 300 military personnel — representatives of 168 brigades and corps. They discussed the transformation of the Defense Forces, as well as the next stage, which will concern changes in the recruitment and mobilization system.