“Aggression breeds aggression”: draft officials promised MPs that there will be no more forceful mobilization methods

Representatives of the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers (TCC) promised the Verkhovna Rada that they would not conduct forced mobilization, but they continue to detain people by force on the street.

This was stated in an interview with Ukrainian media by MP Solomiia Bobrovska from the Holos faction.

She was asked whether the ongoing conflicts between civilians and TCC staff—like the recent incident in Volyn—can be fixed through legislation.

“Not through legislation. Criminal liability already exists for this, meaning there are enough mechanisms. But the problem is that it’s not becoming less, it’s becoming more. We need to remove the issue of aggression and address issues of fairness and the right approach. When people are dragged away by arms and legs… We agreed with the TCC that there would be no more forceful methods of mobilization. Why is this continuing? Aggression breeds aggression—that’s the whole story. People don’t trust it, they don’t understand why in villages they’ve scooped up all the men, and elsewhere they haven’t; why there are pumped-up guys in gyms, but ordinary people (or not ordinary people) are being kidnapped off the streets. So I believe there must be a reform of the TCC,” Bobrovska said.

When asked what kind of reform she envisions, the MP replied that “it’s not even about removing them from the subordination of the Ground Forces.”

“Every second person doesn’t even know who the TCC reports to. There needs to be a reform and a redistribution of their duties: who should do the notifications, who hands out draft notices, who gathers people. Maybe this should be done by the National Police with its capabilities. But again, not through forceful methods. In Ukraine these stories don’t work—they cause outrage and push people away,” the politician said.

As a reminder, resistance to TCC actions occurs regularly across Ukraine. For example, recently in Uzhhorod district, Roma attacked TCC personnel with sticks.