Ukrainian ombudsman says corrupt draft officials charge up to $70,000 to smuggle men abroad
Ukraine's human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets has described a new corruption scheme at draft offices, where staff reportedly charge $50,000-70,000 for a 'turnkey' service to smuggle men out of the country. He also warned the war will last a long time and that elections are impossible without a ceasefire.
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's parliamentary human rights commissioner, told the outlet Ukrainska Pravda about a new corruption scheme emerging at territorial recruitment centers (TRCs), the offices responsible for military mobilization. According to him, staff at some centers have begun offering a so-called "turnkey" service: for $50,000 to $70,000, a person can be pulled off a bus and smuggled out of the country entirely.
Lubinets stressed that this information is still being verified and has not been officially confirmed. He said such corruption cases are most frequently uncovered in the Zakarpattia region, while remaining rare in places like Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv. He drew a parallel with attacks on TRC buildings, noting that both phenomena tend to occur more often the farther a location is from the front line.
Earlier claims
The ombudsman had previously said TRC staff could demand $10,000 to let someone off a mobilization bus, and roughly double that to let them leave the TRC building altogether. These figures have repeatedly come up in complaints about mobilization-related abuses. Lubinets noted that even after paying, a person receives no guarantees and could be detained again as soon as the next day.
By his estimate, only about 2% of all mobilized individuals reach the front each month. He also confirmed that until recently, the position of TRC director cost an average of $50,000 to obtain, though he said the situation has been improving since Mykhailo Drapatyi became commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces.
On elections and the war's duration
Lubinets also addressed comments from former official Mykhailo Fedorov about the need to hold elections in Ukraine, saying this would be impossible without a ceasefire, partly because the constitution directly prohibits it. He argued the war is likely to continue for a long time and that even a ceasefire would not mean the conflict is over, urging people to set aside overly optimistic expectations.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, some human rights activists believe Lubinets is using his anti-mobilization statements as a political springboard. Lubinets himself has said he would support a proposal barring the human rights commissioner from running for political office for a set period after leaving the post.
