“Better to work for the territorial recruitment center than hide from it”: The Telegraph published an interview with a 28-year-old military recruiter

An employee of one of Ukraine’s recruitment offices revealed that due to a shortage of personnel, they have started detaining everyone indiscriminately to meet mobilization quotas.

He made this statement in an interview with The Telegraph.

The man explained that previously they did not stop men who appeared to be “clearly weak individuals,” but now they do.

“Due to the lack of staff, we hardly choose who to stop—now almost everyone is checked. Before, we allowed people to go home and gather their things, but recently they don’t return voluntarily. They hide and don’t show up. Sometimes we have to confiscate their phones depending on the situation,” said Artem (name changed).

He described that people resist them physically until the end, comparing the detained individuals to “rats.”

“Sometimes it’s like dealing with a cornered rat. They keep fighting even when they’re in the car. Those who resist always threaten to take revenge on our guys or their families,” said Artem.

The 28-year-old man said he agreed to this job because he likes “being part of the system.” However, when he first started working at the territorial recruitment center, he “felt pity and compassion for his victims.”

“I’ve learned to control my emotions during work, and now it’s just a job for me. I always have the argument: either they go, or I do. I believe it’s better to work at the territorial recruitment center than hide from it,” Artem said.