Ukrainian investigators launched a coordinated sweep of the country's draft offices in a single morning, the State Bureau of Investigation announced. The operation goes after two things at once: money paid to escape mobilization, and the mistreatment of the men those offices process. Ukraine's military command has publicly backed the raids.
More than 100 draft offices, searched in one morning
On the morning of 30 July, the State Bureau of Investigation began searches at more than 100 "territorial recruitment and social support centers" — the draft offices Ukrainians call TCKs — across most regions, the bureau set out. It runs the operation, codenamed "Honest Draft," together with the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"For many at the TCKs, a 'Clean Thursday' has truly come today," the Bureau wrote, invoking the pre-Easter day of ritual cleaning.
The Bureau named two targets. First, schemes that let men liable for service buy their way out of mobilization. Second, draft-office staff exceeding their powers, including the beating and torture of those liable for service. Officials stressed that the operation is systematic cleanup work across the whole system, and not a reaction to one high-profile case. Detentions and notices of suspicion are expected across various regions.
The army says it is backing the raids
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said it is giving full assistance to law enforcement in investigations aimed at exposing corruption and abuses, including at the recruitment centers. If wrongdoing is confirmed, those responsible must answer under Ukrainian law, it added.
"The Armed Forces of Ukraine maintain a policy of zero tolerance for corruption and ensure a comprehensive, objective and impartial investigation of every report of a possible offense," the General Staff wrote.
At the same time, it cautioned that isolated cases should not devalue the service of recruitment-center staff who do their jobs properly and keep mobilization running.
The sweep arrives as Ukraine reorders its whole defense apparatus. The army's new leadership is running a force-wide manning audit to find soldiers kept away from the fight. That drive followed the ousted defense minister's public fight over arms procurement and the audit that exposed billions in overspending.
