“One draft notice or one draft dodger per day”: recruitment centers conceal the existence of mobilization plans for Ukrainians

Territorial recruitment centers reportedly operate under mandatory mobilization quotas, despite official denials.

An employee of a recruitment center, speaking anonymously to journalists, revealed that their command threatens to send recruitment staff themselves to the front lines if they fail to meet the quotas.

“Previously, the daily goal was to issue one summons or detain one draft evader, ideally both. The target numbers are determined by overall quotas handed down through the chain of command—the number of people that need to be mobilized,” he explained.

The source also claimed that individuals who are taken into recruitment vans can sometimes be released but only in exchange for a bribe.

“This is all hearsay, but such rumors are persistent—ways for recruitment officers to make some extra cash on the side. A person gets into the van knowing they’ll go through a military medical commission (MMC) and might end up at a training ground by evening. Or they don’t know, but we do. So they can be let go—but not for free,” the staffer admitted.

Media outlets have previously reported cases of individuals with severe health conditions or even disabilities being deemed fit for service. For instance, in Odesa, a man with intellectual disabilities and heart defects was mobilized. Such incidents suggest the existence of mobilization targets at recruitment centers.

There have also been numerous reports of corruption in the military medical commissions (MMC). For example, after serving for a year as the head medic of the MMC at the Ternopil Regional Recruitment Center, a man named Oleh Farion reportedly purchased a house, an apartment, and five plots of land spanning several hectares—all in a single day.