A military recruitment officer in Odesa used force against a child who threw stones at a service bus, according to video published by Strana.ua.
The footage shows two separate interactions between the draft officer and the young boy on a public street. In the first clip, the officer catches the child and attempts to lead him toward a parked minibus, while the boy struggles, tries to push the man away, and grabs at his legs.
In the second clip, the employee of the Territorial Recruitment Center holds the minor pinned against the side of the vehicle. The Ukrainian news outlet reported that the officer choked the boy during the confrontation. Throughout the recording, the child uses profanity against the draft worker, while the officer does not raise his voice. Passers-by observed the encounter without intervening.
Investigation launched in Odesa
The Territorial Recruitment Center of the Odesa region announced on Facebook that it has initiated an urgent internal investigation into the encounter. Military officials stated that they are examining the circumstances leading to the conflict, establishing the timeline of events, and identifying all individuals captured on video.
Territorial Recruitment Centers operate as the regional military enlistment offices across Ukraine, managing mobilization and conscription for the armed forces. Odesa, a major port city on the Black Sea coast in southern Ukraine, has seen heightened public scrutiny surrounding draft enforcement operations in recent months.
Lawmaker criticises Ukrainian leadership
Artem Dmytruk, a member of the Verkhovna Rada who has left Ukraine, commented on the video by accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of responsibility for the actions of military recruiters.
Dmytruk said that until recently even the harshest critics of Zelensky would have viewed claims of recruiters striking a child as extreme hyperbole. He added that such incidents have now become reality under the current administration.
Dmytruk is a member of the Verkhovna Rada, the parliament of Ukraine, who fled the country following legal proceedings. Volodymyr Zelensky has served as President of Ukraine since 2019.
Previous conflicts over military draft
The incident follows earlier reports of clashes between draft officers and local residents in Odesa. In a previous confrontation, bystanders attempted to free a man targeted by enlistment workers, prompting recruiters to spray tear gas into the crowd to prevent residents from stopping the detainment.
Street detentions by recruitment officers have triggered tension among local populations, leading to the informal term busification to describe forced draft pick-ups into minibuses. Regional military authorities indicated that further steps will depend on the outcome of the ongoing internal review.
