Ukrainian villages may get Territorial Recruitment Centers with city-level powers

The government has submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law proposing to establish territorial recruitment centers in villages.

This is evidenced by draft law No. 14320, which has appeared on the Rada’s website.

According to the document, rural Territorial Centers for Recruitment (TCCs) would be given the same powers as urban ones—that is, to keep records of persons liable for military service and to carry out mobilization measures.

Judging by the explanatory note, the bill provides for transforming the currently existing separate branches of district TCCs (they are created at the level of united territorial communities and operate mainly in rural areas) into full-fledged TCCs.

“This will make it possible to optimize the processes of mobilization and holding violators accountable, reduce the workload of district Territorial Centers for Recruitment and Social Support leaders, increase the effectiveness of such centers, and strengthen their institutional capacity,” the explanatory note to the bill says. It is signed by Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal.

It also states that implementing the project will not require additional expenditures from the state budget.

At present, 344 separate departments of district TCCs have been created and are functioning within the structure of district centers, but they do not have independent legal status.

As a reminder, mobilization in villages has already been actively underway since the start of the war. Moreover, it is even tougher than in cities, since it is harder to hide from enlistment officers there.