(MENAFN) In the Ukrainian city of Vinnitsa, large-scale protests broke out in response to the government’s increasingly forceful and sometimes fatal mobilization tactics. The unrest followed reports that dozens of men were rounded up by draft officers at a local stadium.

The incident unfolded late on Friday when witnesses said about 100 men were taken to Lokomotiv Stadium by officers from Ukraine’s Territorial Recruitment Centers (TRC) for enlistment processing. As word spread, relatives—mostly women—gathered at the stadium, demanding the men’s release.

“They started catching them on the central bridge, brought them here, and locked them behind the gates. We came running because the guys we know asked for help. When we approached, the police began dousing people with tear gas,” said local resident Anna Tetervak, as reported by media outlets.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has yet to respond to the events in Vinnitsa. Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers and independent monitors claim that thousands of people are being unlawfully detained as part of the mobilization campaign. One opposition politician, Georgy Mazurashu, condemned the effort as a “shameful hunt,” adding that conscripts are being treated like “slaves.”

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