April 22, 2026, 8:29 a.m.
(PHOTO: suspilne.media)
The Odesa CCC announced its official position on the detention of its employees. The center declared cooperation with the investigation and emphasized the inadmissibility of violations in the ranks of the Armed Forces.
This was reported by the press service of the Odesa Regional CCC and JV.
The agency confirmed the fact that law enforcement officials had detained servicemen from one of the district recruitment centers in Odesa. They also stated that they are currently ensuring full cooperation with the authorized bodies to clarify all the circumstances of the incident.
The center emphasized that its position remains unchanged: transparency and an objective investigation are the priority. They emphasized that any violation of the law in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is unacceptable, and cleansing the structure of people who discredit the service is one of the key tasks.
The TCC also called on the public and the media to refrain from jumping to premature conclusions and disseminating unverified information. They promised to provide additional explanations after receiving officially confirmed data. Despite the situation, the center continues to operate as usual.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine, the detained military personnel of the Peresypsk Territorial Recruitment Center acted in collusion with a local resident who also served in the TRC. He was the one who searched for potential victims, collected information about their financial situation and routes of movement.
The investigation found that the military extorted money from citizens. In case of refusal, they used violence and threatened to send the victims to the front line as part of assault units.
According to the case file, all this took place in a TCC minibus, where the victims were dragged by force. SBU officers together with the Special Forces detained all members of the group during another crime - when they kidnapped a local resident and extorted money from him.
Currently, all detainees are being served with a notice of suspicion of extortion and the issue of choosing a measure of restraint is being decided. If found guilty, the suspects face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
In addition, by the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Sirskyi, the Head of the Odesa Regional TCC and JV, as well as the Head of the Peresypskyi District Recruitment Center, were suspended from duty for the duration of the investigation.
Анна Бальчінос