The regional draft office said the detentions had been
confirmed and that its leadership was fully cooperating with law enforcement to
establish the circumstances.
It also said it wanted a transparent and impartial
investigation.
“Any violations of the law within Ukraine’s Armed Forces are
unacceptable, and removing from the system those who discredit the service is
our priority,” the statement said.
The Odesa regional draft office also urged people not to
draw premature conclusions or spread unverified information.
“Additional clarifications will be provided after official
data are received and clarified,” the draft office said.
Earlier on April 21, Odesa Telegram channels reported a chase
and gunfire. Dumska reported that the detention operation was carried out by
the KORD special unit and officers from the SBU’s internal security department.
Suspilne, citing the draft office’s press service, reported
that Ukraine’s SBU Security Service had detained service members from one of
Odesa’s district draft offices.
According to Suspilne’s sources in the SBU, eight staff
members of the Peresyp district draft office and one local police officer were
detained. The sources said they had “demanded $50,000.”
Ukraine’s Ground Forces also commented on the detention of
members of draft notification teams in Odesa Oblast.
The Ground Forces said an internal investigation had been
launched after employees of the SBU’s internal security department detained members
of notification teams from the Peresyp district draft office.
“By decision of the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed
Forces, the head of the Odesa regional territorial recruitment and social
support center, as well as the head of the Peresyp district territorial
recruitment and social support center, have been suspended from performing
their official duties,” the statement said.
The military also said the head of the Military Law
Enforcement Service of Ukraine’s Armed Forces had been instructed to conduct an
internal investigation.
The SBU later said
draft office employees in Odesa were part of an “organized criminal group” that
extorted money from people by threatening to send them “as assault troops to
the front line.” According to the investigation, they received information from
a local resident who served at the draft office.
“According to the case materials, the ‘shaking down’ of
money took place directly inside the draft office’s service minivan, into which
the victims were dragged by force. SBU officers, with the involvement of
special forces, detained all members of the group ‘in the act’ when they
abducted another local resident and were ‘shaking him down’ for money,” the
security service said.