In Odessa, police have launched an investigation into the beating of a teenager by a member of the TCC

An incident involving a serviceman from the district military enlistment office and a 13-year-old boy is under investigation in Odesa. A video of the altercation, in which a man in military uniform grabs the teenager, yanks him by the ears, and pins him against a car, has been shared on social media.

The Odesa Regional Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support reported that an internal investigation has been launched regarding the video. The investigation aims to determine all the circumstances of the incident, the causes of the conflict, and the identities of the individuals captured on camera.

“Regarding the video featuring a person in military uniform and a teenager that is circulating on social media, we would like to state the following: the leadership of the Odesa Regional Center for Temporary Accommodation and Social Support has immediately launched an internal investigation into this incident,” the statement reads.

They emphasized that any acts of violence, abuse of authority, or inappropriate behavior toward citizens are unacceptable. The Territorial Control Center stressed that if the military personnel are found guilty, they will be held accountable in accordance with the law. 

Odesa police are also investigating the circumstances of the incident. Law enforcement officers discovered the video while monitoring social media. According to preliminary reports, the incident occurred several days ago in the Khadzhibey district of Odesa.

At the same time, local online communities claim that the conflict allegedly began after teenagers threw stones at a TCC minibus. There is currently no official confirmation of this information.

Oleg Khvoshchevsky, head of the “Union of Transnistrians of Ukraine,” claims that Odessa veterans and disabled war veterans tracked down the soldier who struck the child and forced him to apologize to the teenager and his parents.

Ірина Глухова