Dmytro Lubinets, the Ombudsman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights, announced specific results of the monitoring of Territorial Recruitment and Social Adaptation Centers (TCC) in Zakarpattia Oblast. According to him, the inspections led not only to personnel and infrastructure changes but also to the initiation of criminal proceedings. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the ombudsman's official statement in his Telegram channel.
From facility repairs to criminal cases
Lubinets noted that in one of the district TCCs, where numerous violations and inadequate conditions of stay for citizens had been recorded during a preliminary monitoring, the situation had "significantly changed." The premises were renovated, and the conditions of stay were improved. In addition, a new acting head of the oblast TCC was appointed in the region. The changes also affected the leadership of the district territorial recruitment centers. The ombudsman separately noted that after the inspections, the approaches to control and communication with the relatives of people brought to the TCCs were changed: the centers are now equipped with video surveillance cameras, and a dedicated phone line for rapid communication with relatives has been introduced.
Criminal proceedings: three military personnel informed of suspicion
The key result of the monitoring, according to Lubinets, was the initiation of criminal proceedings. "The main thing: based on the materials of our monitoring, several criminal proceedings have been opened. Three TCC military personnel have already been informed of suspicion, two of them are heads," the ombudsman stated. He emphasized that violations of citizens' rights will not go unnoticed: "No one will turn a blind eye to violations of citizens' rights. We are continuing to work."
Background: scheme of unlawful removal from military registration
The context of the inspections in Zakarpattia is complemented by a previously exposed scheme of unlawful removal of military-obligated persons from military registration, which operated in 2022–2024. According to the investigation, at least 1,577 men were removed from the registry without legal grounds, and the organizers charged between 5,000 and 10,000 US dollars for entering inaccurate data into documents. This indicates the systemic nature of the problems in the region, which go beyond individual violations in the conditions of stay.
Contradictory data
Although the ombudsman records positive changes — repairs, new personnel, video surveillance — other high-profile cases related to the activities of TCCs continue in Zakarpattia. In particular, in June 2026, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) investigated the death of a man after his stay in a TCC and a military enlistment office (ME) in the oblast. Thus, the ombudsman's statements about an "improvement of the situation" coexist with facts indicating that certain critical problems in the region's recruitment system persist. The exact number of criminal proceedings initiated based on the materials of Lubinets's monitoring is not specified in the public statement — the ombudsman uses the wording "several," which leaves room for interpretation of the actual scale of investigative actions.
Reaction and next steps
The ombudsman did not stop at stating the facts and announced the continuation of the work: the monitoring of TCCs in Zakarpattia, according to him, is not complete. The appointment of a new acting head of the oblast center and the introduction of technical control measures (cameras, a dedicated line for relatives) may become a precedent for extending this practice to other regions. However, without the public disclosure of the final data of the investigation into the criminal proceedings — including the scheme involving 1,577 persons removed from the registry — an assessment of the completeness of the reforms in Zakarpattia remains preliminary.
