The Ombudsman Warned of a Crisis of Trust Due to the Actions of the TCC in the Odesa Region

The Odesa region tops a disheartening ranking in Ukraine—based on complaints regarding possible illegal actions by employees of the Territorial Center for Combating Corruption and the Special Investigation Unit. Since the beginning of 2026, the Ombudsman’s Office has already received 453 complaints from residents of the region.

This was reported by Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights.

According to the Ombudsman, instead of a civilized organization of mobilization processes, the public is confronted daily with scenes that are shocking in their brutality and are gradually eroding trust.

He attributed the situation in the Odesa region to systemic problems that have been building up for years.

“The public expected the establishment of a transparent mobilization system, but instead, violations were ignored for years. The result has been a complete illusion of impunity at the local level, which has now led to a deep crisis of trust,” the ombudsman noted.

In the last month alone, several high-profile reports have surfaced online from the Odesa region regarding possible human rights violations during mobilization efforts. Among them:

• the use of force against a 19-year-old man;
• the forced detention of a man, after which he ended up in intensive care;
• the case of a person with a Group II disability who was unjustifiably deemed eligible for military service and had to go to court to have his rights restored.

Lubinec emphasized that the video recordings posted online may represent only a small fraction of the actual situation.

“Imagine the true scale of this: this is only what was caught on camera. Imagine how many similar stories remain off-camera every day,” noted the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights.

Separately, the Ombudsman commented on the use of balaclavas and the absence of identifying marks during mobilization activities.

“Concealing faces, wearing balaclavas, and the absence of identification marks during mobilization activities must be banned immediately!” he emphasized.

Lubinec emphasized that mobilization during wartime is critically necessary for the state, but it must be carried out strictly within the law and with respect for human dignity.

He also stated that his team is reviewing every report of potential violations and called for restoring citizens’ trust in state institutions.

Ірина Глухова