Cherkasy territorial recruitment center responds to accusations over death of mobilized man with epilepsy

The Cherkasy regional territorial recruitment center (TRC) has reacted to accusations over the death of a man with epilepsy who was allegedly subjected to mobilization attempts and then dropped off far from home on a highway — he was later found dead.

The post appeared on the TRC’s Facebook page.

The TRC confirmed that attempts were made to mobilize the man and stated that during the military medical commission (MMC) he did not provide documents confirming the presence of a serious illness.

According to the TRC’s account, on August 10 the local resident arrived accompanied by a police officer, then underwent the MMC and was declared fit for service. However, no military unit was willing to accept him. After that, the man was handed a summons for a repeat appearance and was offered help getting home.

“Near the settlement of Shevchenkove in Zvenyhorod district, the citizen left the vehicle of his own accord, which was recorded on video camera,” the statement says.

The TRC did not publish the video itself.

The recruitment center also did not explain why the man was declared fit for service despite an epileptic seizure occurring directly during the MMC, which was previously reported by ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. The TRC also did not comment on the reasons why all military units refused to accept the man.

The circumstances of his subsequent death were also not explained by the recruitment office, which stated only that possible violations are being investigated by police as part of an open criminal proceeding.

Earlier, Lubinets reported that a resident of Zolotonosha, Serhiy, was taken to Zvenyhorodka, where he was declared fit for service in an assault brigade despite his epilepsy. After the military refused to accept him, the man was dropped off far from home. He went missing, and after two months of searching his body was found 120 kilometers from home. The cause of death has still not been disclosed.

Prior to that, the ombudsman reported that a resident of Zvenyhorodka was hospitalized in intensive care after being beaten at a TRC.