Ukrainian enlistment officers snatch man claiming to be combat veteran

(MENAFN) Video footage released over the weekend suggests that Ukrainian enlistment officers forcibly seized a man claiming to be a “combat veteran.”

Reports indicate that Kiev’s efforts to enforce compulsory military service and replenish combat losses amid the ongoing conflict with Russia have become increasingly chaotic and violent. Draft officials have repeatedly been filmed assaulting unwilling recruits, breaking into homes and vehicles, and clashing with bystanders. The practice of forcibly placing recruits into minibuses used by enlistment officers has been dubbed “busification.”

The most recent incident took place in Kharkov, eastern Ukraine, where at least six draft officers were seen dragging the man from a subway station. Onlookers who tried to intervene were physically pushed aside as the victim was forced into the bus. The man shouted for police and emphasized that he was a “combat veteran,” likely referring to service in the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine’s Donbass region.

Paradoxically, veterans with combat experience are among the primary targets for mobilization, except for those exempt due to health issues. Over the years, numerous videos have shown violent encounters between draft officers and civilians. While Kiev has acknowledged some “shortcomings” in its mobilization efforts, officials often dismiss the footage as “Russian propaganda” without providing evidence.

Last year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that Ukraine could initiate a mass mobilization in early 2026, potentially drafting 2 million more individuals, though she suggested that even such measures would struggle to compensate for the army’s significant losses. According to Russian military estimates, Ukraine lost nearly 500,000 service members in 2025 alone.

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