Ombudsman Lubinets Reports Poor Conditions at Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Draft Office

Representatives of Ukraine's parliamentary human rights commissioner recorded inadequate conditions for people held at the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi territorial recruitment and social support centre (TCC) in Odesa oblast during a monitoring visit. Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets described the findings on social media.

"People who only yesterday went to work in a comfortable office or jumped on trampolines with their children, who chose a normal life and then stood up to defend Ukraine, are today forced to live in basements on concrete floors, cover themselves with old sheets and sleep on old beds, some of which have no mattresses at all," Lubinets wrote.

Metal bars and other violations

According to Lubinets, holes in the walls near ventilation structures were plugged with ordinary pillows, and the sanitary state of the toilets was unsatisfactory. What stayed with him most, he said, were the metal bars on the doors of the rooms where mobilised men are kept. "I doubt they are there for decor or a loft-style look. This is not about designer renovation but about restricting the freedom of the mobilised. We cannot close our eyes to this — what we saw needs a thorough check," he said.

Monitors also found alcohol in plastic containers on the territory of the TCC, while helmets and body armour were lying in an open garage without doors, among old furniture and other junk.

What happens next

The ombudsman said he is preparing response acts based on the visit, to get the violations removed and the actions of the responsible officials checked. "Approaches to carrying out mobilisation must be fundamentally changed now. I expect real systemic decisions from the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces that will work in practice rather than stay on paper," he said.

The report adds to recent scrutiny of draft offices: we covered the case of a Lviv draft office serviceman suspected of beating a mobilised man to death. More in our politics section.