Lubinets reacts to detention of TCR servicemen in Odesa
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets commented on the high-profile detention in Odesa of Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support (TCRSS) servicemen suspected of extorting money.
According to him, the situation indicates the beginning of a real response to systemic violations, Censor.NET reports.
The ombudsman emphasized that the problems of impunity and corruption among some representatives of territorial recruitment centers had long been ignored. At the same time, in his assessment, such cases are now beginning to receive proper legal evaluation.
"The problems I have repeatedly pointed out — systemic impunity and the corruption component — are finally beginning to receive a tough legal assessment," Lubinets said.
High-profile case in Odesa
According to the investigation, officers of the Security Service of Ukraine detained a group of individuals that included TCRSS representatives and a law enforcement officer. They are suspected of extorting a large sum of money from a citizen who had a lawful exemption from mobilization.
According to law enforcement, the suspects acted in an organized manner. They tracked potential victims, forcibly dragged them into official vehicles, and threatened them with weapons while demanding money. Within the framework of the proceedings, notices of suspicion are being prepared under the article on extortion on an especially large scale under martial law.
Increase in complaints and state response
In his statement, Lubinets also cited statistics on citizens’ appeals. According to him, hundreds of reports of possible human rights violations by TCRSS personnel were received from the Odesa region alone last year. In 2026, this figure continues to grow.
He stressed that similar problems are recorded in other regions as well, including Lviv, Mykolaiv, Zakarpattia, and Cherkasy regions.
Following the detentions, the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the suspension of the leadership of the relevant TCRSS offices in Odesa and the launch of an internal investigation. According to the ombudsman, this should signal the inevitability of accountability for violations of citizens’ rights.
- It is also noted that immediately after the high-profile case in Odesa, officers of the State Bureau of Investigation, together with the National Police and the Security Service of Ukraine, detained the head of a military medical commission at the Berehove district Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support in Zakarpattia region. During searches at the workplace and residence, more than UAH 11 million was seized.
