Military commissars illegally detained an ambulance crew: a fight broke out between representatives of the territorial recruitment center and medics in Odesa

In Odessa, a large-scale scandal erupted between medical personnel and representatives of the territorial recruitment center.

According to reports, a doctor and a paramedic were illegally detained at one of the military enlistment offices, which led to the arrival of numerous medical teams in protest, resulting in a brawl.

Telegram channels that published a video recording of the fight between medical staff and representatives of the territorial recruitment center claim that an ambulance crew was illegally detained in the Kyiv district of Odessa.

It is reported that an ambulance driver came to update his military registration data on his day off, as required by current legislation. However, the territorial recruitment center decided not to let him leave.

“Due to stress, the driver’s blood pressure rose, and he became unwell. An ambulance with a doctor and a paramedic was called for him. As of 3:00 PM, they also did not want to release them to hospitalize the affected driver,” the report states.

An ambulance team arrived at the Kyiv district territorial recruitment center but found themselves locked inside. The doctor and paramedic were not allowed to leave the enlistment office. Other medical teams joined the scene and staged a large-scale protest.

Local journalists reported that after several hours, paramedics were eventually released from the building of the territorial recruitment center due to the efforts of their colleagues, who arrived with sirens blaring and staged a protest.

However, during this time, fights broke out between the medical staff and representatives of the territorial recruitment center, which police tried to break up.

According to journalists citing one of the paramedics, he believes this incident was a reaction from the territorial recruitment center representatives to the medical workers’ attempts to obtain exemptions from mobilization.

It is claimed that Odessa ambulance workers have been trying for months to get clarity on whether they are subject to mobilization. Representatives of the 101 service in Mykolaiv, Vinnytsia, and Ivano-Frankivsk have long received exemptions.

However, Odessa ambulance workers have only received vague promises from the management about taking care of their mobilization status.

After the mobilization law came into effect, several Odessa paramedics, at the request of the management, went to the territorial recruitment center to update their military registration data. Instead, they were issued draft notices and quickly joined the Ukrainian army.

Medical workers find this extremely unfair, especially considering that police officers, rescuers, and energy sector workers received exemptions from mobilization.

The management of the Odessa ambulance service claims to have submitted lists of employees to the territorial recruitment center for exemption purposes, which were allegedly returned.

The Odessa Regional Territorial Recruitment Center has already responded to the incident. They claim that on June 11, a mobile notification group, consisting of representatives from the territorial recruitment center and the police, was checking registration documents of citizens.

“One of the citizens refused to provide identification and military registration documents. Police officers, along with soldiers from the Kyiv Territorial Recruitment Center in Odessa, administratively detained the person and took him to the recruitment center to update his registration data,” the statement said.

An hour later, a group of people in medical clothing arrived at the territorial recruitment center in Odessa in an ambulance. They claimed to have come for the previously detained citizen and insisted on his hospitalization, according to the Odessa Regional Territorial Recruitment Center.

“These individuals referred to a diagnosis that had not been confirmed by the military medical commission. When asked by representatives of the territorial recruitment center to provide documents confirming their affiliation with the healthcare system, they refused.”

The territorial recruitment center suspected that the arriving individuals were trying to help the citizen avoid military service, for which he had been deemed fit by the military medical commission. Representatives of the recruitment center called the police, the statement said.

“Arriving law enforcement officers were also not provided with documents confirming these individuals’ affiliation with the healthcare system. They were detained to provide explanations. Afterward, the detainees called 103 and reported alleged forcible detention by officials of the Kyiv Territorial Recruitment Center in Odessa,” the statement claims.

The recruitment center accused unknown individuals who arrived at the scene, in addition to the ambulance crews, of allegedly provoking the fight.

As a result of the fight, both a soldier from the territorial recruitment center and emergency service representatives were injured.

The Odessa Regional Territorial Recruitment Center noted that this information was quickly spread by allegedly dubious Telegram channels. They added that investigative actions continue to establish all the circumstances of the incident.