They beat, choked, and rammed a car: 10 soldiers from the Odessa Territorial Military Command have been charged

As part of Operation “Honest Draft,” employees of the State Bureau of Investigations uncovered unlawful actions by two mobilization teams from one of the district military registration and enlistment offices in Odesa. The teams consisted of 10 military personnel.

According to the State Bureau of Investigations, the investigation found that during mobilization efforts, the teams unlawfully detained people, used force against them, beat them, used tear gas, and forcibly transported citizens to the military registration and enlistment offices.

To date, the State Bureau of Investigations has documented at least 15 such incidents.

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko reported that at least eight victims have been identified.

According to the investigation, in one instance, a man attempted to flee from a mobilization team. During the chase, the driver of a TCC service vehicle ran him over.

In another incident, according to the prosecutor general, a man was choked, beaten, handcuffed, and threatened while being forced to reveal the passcode to his cell phone.

Investigators believe the violations were systematic in nature. The suspects allegedly used the motto “Beat, pack, and process” among themselves, which they even set as a screensaver on their cell phones.

Four military personnel have been notified that they are suspects in cases of torture and unlawful deprivation of liberty under Part 1 of Article 28, Part 3 of Article 127, and Part 2 of Article 146 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Six additional service members were notified that they are suspected of unlawful deprivation of liberty under Part 2 of Article 146 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

According to the prosecutor’s office, seven of the ten suspects were mobilized in the spring of 2025 and immediately sent to serve at the Odesa Territorial Military Command.

The court ordered four suspects accused of torture to be held in pretrial detention without the right to bail. The other six will remain under round-the-clock house arrest.

The pretrial investigation is ongoing. The Odesa Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Defense Affairs in the Southern Region is overseeing the proceedings.

Attorney General Ruslan Kravchenko emphasized that the need for mobilization does not give officials the right to use unlawful violence.

Андрій Колісніченко