In Ukraine, at least 25 men have died after being detained by the military at territorial recruitment centers (TRCs) since the start of the full-scale invasion. Official accounts of the causes of death often differ from what their families believe.
According to Suspilny, only two cases were confirmed as beatings. In other cases, the cause is said to be illness or suicide. Last week, two conscripts died after being detained for violating military registration rules: one in Cherkasy region jumped out of a car on the way to a training center, and another in Rivne region died at a collection point due to a sharp deterioration in health.
One of the most high-profile cases was the incident in Baranivka, Zhytomyr region. 41-year-old Serhiy Kovalchuk was hospitalized with severe head injuries after being taken to the CCC and died shortly after. The cause of death was indicated in the certificate as a fractured skull, but the military claimed that the man had an epileptic seizure due to alcohol abuse. His relatives are convinced that he was beaten. The city was shaken by a spontaneous rally demanding an investigation into the circumstances of his death.
Similar tragedies have happened before. In Khmelnytskyi, 41-year-old Andriy Panasyuk died during a medical examination, in Mykolaiv, the body of Serhiy Ukhorenko was found near a military unit without any explanation of the cause of death. There have also been cases of suicides within the walls of the CCC.
Confirmed cases of beatings stand out separately. In Sumy, Yevhen Kryvodub died due to a conflict with a soldier, and in Kyiv in May 2025, Oleksiy Pogoreltseva brutally beat a soldier, which led to his death. The suspects are under arrest.
Cases rarely reach court. According to MP Yulia Yatsyk, out of 166 beating cases, only 17 have been brought to court. She emphasizes that medical commissions often formally declare patients fit, while military CCCs exceed their authority.
The Land Forces Command claims that most of the deaths are related to chronic illnesses and the negligence of the men themselves. Some of the online messages are called "manipulative" and created in Russia's interests.
Human rights activists, including Volodymyr Yavorskyi of the Center for Civil Liberties, believe that most cases are hushed up and investigations are superficial. In his opinion, every death should be investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation as an independent body, otherwise the state risks losing cases at the ECHR and paying compensation.
In September, the Ministry of Defense required military CCCs to use body cameras during document checks. Experts believe this could reduce abuse, but transparent and independent investigations into each death remain key.
