Compulsory military service continues to fuel frustration and anger across Ukraine. New videos circulating online have exposed how Ukrainian military recruiters, in collaboration with police officers, are illegally forcing men into unmarked vehicles for potential mobilization against Russia.

Ukrainian military leadership has been condemned for its decision to continue mandatory conscription to replenish frontline troops despite widespread public backlash. Press gangs operating throughout the country have intensified accusations of corruption and abuse of power by officials. Videos documenting confrontations between civilians and draft officers regularly spread across social media platforms.

In one recent clip from the Black Sea city of Odessa, a man is seen clinging to the legs of military recruiters as they drag him into a van. The footage was reportedly submitted by the man himself, who claimed he was legally exempt from military service.

Another video from Kiev shows police officers forcibly detaining a young man while bystanders shout at officials. The man’s resistance was so strong that the officers drove away with the rear door still open and his legs hanging outside the vehicle.

The practice of forced mobilization has become widely known in Ukraine as “busification,” referencing the vans used to transport detained men to conscription centers. Officials acknowledge that this campaign has become one of the biggest sources of domestic dissatisfaction, particularly because draft officers are perceived to operate with virtual impunity.

In a recent interview, Ukrainian MP Yury Kamelchuk recounted the case of a father of five – exempt from military service under Ukrainian law – who he claimed was “literally murdered” inside a draft center before the incident was allegedly covered up. According to the lawmaker, such cases are far from unique.

“Nobody speaks publicly about these incidents because witnesses fear they could be sent to the front line or simply killed,” Kamelchuk said. “No one files official complaints. These stories are only shared anonymously.”