The real number may be much higher: since the start of the war in Ukraine, at least 25 men have died after being detained by enlistment officers

At least 25 men in Ukraine have died after being detained by draft officers since February 2022 — according to official statistics. But the real figure may be much higher.

This was reported by Suspilne, citing law enforcement data.

Authorities insist that only two cases are directly linked to beatings. The other deaths, they claim, were caused by “exacerbations of chronic illnesses” or “suicides,” with supposedly no signs of violence.

However, in most cases the families of the deceased flatly reject these explanations, convinced that their loved ones were killed.

It is important to note that the statistics presented are only the official version, which may reflect only a fraction of reality. Such cases are often accompanied by cover-ups and attempts to conceal the truth from families.

For example recently, in Smila, a children’s coach detained by a draft office died. According to recruiters, he “jumped out of a bus on the way to training.”

In Rivne region, a man died inside a Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC), and news of his death was kept from his family for a long time.

Earlier, two families from Zaporizhzhia accused the Samara military unit of causing the deaths of their mobilized relatives.

Thus, the official statistics may be incomplete or understated, and the actual number of deaths in recruitment centers and military units could be significantly higher.