Ukrainian ombudsman gets over 6,000 complaints against enlistment officers in 2025 — 333 times more than at all-out war's start
Ukraine's Human Rights Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, received 6,127 complaints in 2025 over possible violations committed by enlistment officers, he said during a parliamentary session on Feb. 9.
Amid Ukraine's ongoing mobilization efforts, draft offices are often accused, at times justly, of forced conscription without compliance with fundamental civil rights and ill-treatment of conscripts.
The number of complaints is nearly twice as high as in 2024, when the ombudsman received 3,312 appeals. In 2023, 514 people filed similar complaints, compared with just 18 in 2022.
According to Lubinets, the number of complaints has increased 333 times since the start of the full-scale invasion.
"I see that every year this figure actually doubles or triples. These are no longer isolated cases, but evidence of a systemic crisis that we must urgently address," Lubinets said.
The most common complaints involve restrictions on freedom of movement during detention, superficial medical examinations by military medical commissions, violations in processing conscription deferrals, illegal confiscation of personal belongings, and unlawful detention in enlistment offices, the ombudsman said.
The Ombudsman's Office proposed digitizing the verification of military registration documents, reforming personnel practices, and upholding human dignity standards to address these issues.
Lubinets stressed that enlistment office employees must possess professional skills in interacting with Ukrainian civilians.
At the same time, citizens must have full access to legal assistance, the ability to communicate with lawyers, relatives, and loved ones, and their freedom of movement must not be restricted without a court decision, he added.
"I have always emphasized that Ukraine differs from the Russian Federation in that we are a democratic country, and our heroes and heroines on the front lines are fighting for democracy and human rights," Lubinets said."
"This is what we must demonstrate, including publicly."
Personnel shortages have dogged Ukraine throughout its fight against Russia. Although Ukraine adopted a major bill reforming the draft in April, 2024, mobilization has slowed considerably compared to the early stages of the full-scale invasion.
Ukraine also introduced updated military contracts, known as the "18-24" contracts, in early 2025. These contracts target volunteers aged 18 to 24 who are not yet subject to conscription.
Yet Russian forces significantly outnumber Ukrainian units and have been able to advance at record rates in eastern Ukraine while absorbing heavy losses.
