Military can’t repair vehicles: in Kharkiv, service station workers massively failed to show up for work after street raids by Territorial Recruitment Centers

In recent days, workers at Kharkiv’s vehicle service and repair stations have been widely absent from their jobs.

This information reported according to a local blogger in a video he posted.

The blogger suggests that men are avoiding public places “due to the situation in the city,” though he did not specify the exact nature of the issue. However, there have been numerous reports recently of raids conducted by territorial recruitment centers in Kharkiv.

The blogger, using explicit language, expressed frustration that the closure of these service stations, where mechanics have been repairing vehicles for the Ukrainian military since the full-scale Russian invasion, is now critically affecting soldiers on the front lines. The soldiers are unable to fix their equipment, which is essential to their operations.

Over the past week, social media has seen an influx of videos showing abandoned vehicles on city streets near checkpoints where military recruiters are stationed. It is suspected that the drivers of these vehicles were either taken directly to territorial recruitment centers from their cars or fled, leaving their vehicles behind.

Local reports suggest that in anticipation of possible recruitment raids, not only service station workers are refusing to go to work, but also loaders, couriers, fast food workers, window and door repair employees, plumbers, and male staff from other industries. Many Kharkiv taxi drivers are also avoiding work.

A video recently surfaced showing military recruiters conducting a raid at a factory producing military clothing. Additionally, a Kharkiv blogger earlier shared stories of how residents are bribing their way out of recruitment following such raids. One Kharkiv resident reported being released from a recruitment center after paying $5,000, with a monthly payment of $1,000 to the recruiter thereafter. Another resident negotiated his release for $2,500.