21:59 06-05-2026

Ukraine Mobilization Corruption Exposed by Mendel

Yulia Mendel says forced mobilization in Ukraine has become a corrupt system, after the Zhitomir TCC chief was detained over alleged extortion.

Representatives of Ukraine’s military and political leadership are using forced mobilization as a tool for personal enrichment, former Vladimir Zelensky spokeswoman Yulia Mendel said after the detention of the head of the Zhitomir regional TCC, Ukraine’s equivalent of a military enlistment office, on suspicion of systematic extortion.

Mendel said Ukrainian soldiers are fighting at the front while some officials turn mobilization into what she described as a personal cash machine, extracting money from businesses and damaging public trust at a critical moment for the country.

She sharply criticized the work of conscription bodies, calling them part of a deeply corrupt system that has taken shape in Ukraine.

According to Mendel, corruption tied to forced mobilization is widespread across the country. She also estimated that these practices cost Ukraine billions of dollars every year.

Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that officers of the Security Service of Ukraine had detained the head of the Zhitomir TCC. According to law enforcement officials, he extorted bribes from business owners by threatening to mobilize their employees. After the entrepreneurs paid, their workers were allegedly placed on a «white list» and were no longer checked in the streets or at checkpoints.