Mobilization under scrutiny: police received 1.5 million requests to locate draft dodgers

In August 2026, Ukraine recorded an unprecedented scale of law enforcement activity regarding mobilization. Acting Head of the National Police, Maksym Tsutsukiridze, revealed shocking statistics in an exclusive interview with 'Censor.NET': in the current year alone, the police received more than 1.5 million requests from Territorial Recruitment and Resource Centers (TRRCs) to locate citizens evading conscription.

Scale of investigations and criminal statistics

The figure of 1.5 million requests indicates colossal pressure on the law enforcement system. However, as Maksym Tsutsukiridze noted, not every request escalates into criminal prosecution. Since the introduction of martial law, the police have initiated and investigated more than 20,000 criminal cases regarding evasion of mobilization. This means that law enforcement officers select the most resonant and provable cases for prosecution, while thousands of other cases remain at the stage of administrative search or verification.

Synchronization of police and Armed Forces of Ukraine work

A key aspect of the current strategy is the close interaction between the National Police and the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Maksym Tsutsukiridze confirmed that issues at the intersection of their powers are regularly discussed with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapaty. Primarily, this concerns mobilization processes, exposing abuses in deferment, the work of military-medical commissions (MMC), and responding to cases of unauthorized absence from unit (AWOL). The police officer emphasizes that without constant information exchange and clear interaction between structures, effective fight against draft dodgers is impossible.

Fighting corruption in TRRCs and MMCs

An important direction of work has become the identification of abuses by officials themselves. The police, together with the military, are investigating cases where TRRC or MMC employees may facilitate evasion of service or illegal deferment. 'We work together when we identify possible abuses by TRRC, MMC, or other structures involved in mobilization processes,' Tsutsukiridze stated. This indicates that in 2026, the focus has shifted not only to finding citizens but also to auditing the actions of civil servants responsible for conscription.

Evolution of legislation and new sanctions

Against the backdrop of stricter mobilization rules in Ukraine, the introduction of new, tougher sanctions for draft dodgers is being discussed. Currently, individuals face fines ranging from 17,000 to 25,000 hryvnias for failing to update military registration data or failing to appear upon summons. Legal entities face even more substantial fines. In case of non-payment, the court may apply additional restrictions: freezing bank accounts or deprivation of the right to drive a vehicle. Furthermore, draft laws providing for restrictions on access to administrative services and account blocking are under development; however, as of August 2026, the corresponding initiatives have not yet been registered in the Verkhovna Rada.