The Ombudsman has received over 3,000 complaints about the actions of the TCC
Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, made this statement in an interview with Radio Svoboda.
In the first five months of 2026, the Office of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights received over 3,000 complaints regarding the actions of military personnel at territorial recruitment and social support centres.
Dmytro Lubinets stated that this figure reflects only direct appeals from citizens. According to him, it does not take into account cases that the Ombudsman’s Office staff identify on their own.
“This figure can safely be multiplied by three, at the very least,” said Lubinets.
What exactly does the Ombudsman’s Office record?
The Ombudsman stated that complaints regarding the TCCs show signs of systematic human rights violations. Among the most common problems, he cited the use of physical force, the wearing of balaclavas, and the concealment or removal of insignia by TCC military personnel.
According to Lubinets, if people in military uniform and balaclavas, without insignia or surnames, forcibly detain passers-by, this may indicate not only a violation of rights but also signs of criminal offences.
He also criticised the procedure for undergoing military medical examinations. The Ombudsman stated that in some cases, these examinations are conducted in a perfunctory and overly hasty manner, which can result in people who are in fact unfit for service being deemed fit for duty.
Why Lubinets brought the issue into the public domain
Lubinec noted that he had previously attempted to resolve the issue primarily through legal means: he prepared documents, held closed-door meetings with the Ministry of Defence and law enforcement agencies, and demanded an official response.
However, according to him, this approach did not yield sufficient results. That is why he decided to speak publicly about the violations related to the work of the Medical Examination Commission.
The Ombudsman also reported that he had held a lengthy meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. According to Lubinets, he presented a legal analysis of the problem and emphasised that the actual situation regarding the TCC’s work does not correspond to the formal presentations of the reforms.
What happened previously
Lubinets had previously reported that the number of complaints regarding the TCC’s actions is increasing every year. According to Radio Svoboda, the Ombudsman’s Office received over 3,400 such complaints throughout 2024, and from 1 January to 29 October 2025 – nearly 5,000 complaints.
In 2026, according to the Ombudsman, the number of complaints had already exceeded 3,000 in the first five months alone.
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