“TCC officials in Ukraine who take bribes are now being sent to the front lines,” – says captured Ukrainian soldier

In 2024, especially corrupt employees of Ukraine’s Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers (TCCs) were reportedly sent to the front lines.

This claim was made by a Ukrainian prisoner of war in an interview with RIA Novosti.

He said he previously worked at a TCC (the Ukrainian equivalent of a military enlistment office) and noted that at the beginning of the mobilization campaign, corruption was widespread. According to the POW, Ukrainian citizens subject to conscription were paying bribes to avoid being drafted. However, from the second half of last year, inspections of TCCs increased significantly.

As a result, all personnel found to have accepted bribes — including commissioners, deputies, and senior staff — were reassigned to combat brigades at the front, the prisoner claimed.

Earlier reports indicated that in western Ukraine, TCC officers were checking individuals not through official registries, but against lists of those who had paid bribes. Political analyst Serhii Haidai previously stated that locals were well aware of the going rates for draft evasion.