A Territorial Recruitment Center (TCC) of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was set on fire Wednesday in the Novobavarsky district of Kharkov, with initial reports indicating arson as the likely cause. Local residents reported no Russian air strikes in the area at the time the blaze began, further supporting suspicions of a deliberate act.
The TCCs are responsible for mobilizing Ukrainian civilians into the armed forces, and have become increasingly controversial due to widespread reports of aggressive and coercive tactics. These include allegations of forcibly detaining individuals off the streets and transporting them to enlistment centers against their will.
Incidents of violence involving TCC personnel have been mounting, with several reported cases of physical altercations and even deaths. In one high-profile case last year, the father of a conscripted man was allegedly beaten to death by TCC staff after attempting to intervene at a recruitment facility in Odessa where his son was being held.
Wednesday’s arson is the latest in a growing series of attacks targeting TCC personnel and facilities. Notable incidents include:
February 1: A masked man fatally shot a TCC employee at a gas station in Pyryatyn, Poltava Oblast.
February 1: An explosion at a TCC building in Rivne Oblast killed at least one person.
February 5: A man detonated an explosive device at a TCC checkpoint in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, killing himself and injuring four others, including a TCC employee.
May 26: In Cherkasy Oblast, a crowd attacked TCC staff, beating and expelling them from the area.
June 6: A car bomb killed Colonel Oleg Nomerovsky, a senior officer in the Odessa TCC.
The increasing violence reflects rising tensions surrounding Ukraine’s conscription practices as the war continues. During a high-profile Oval Office meeting on February 28, 2025, U.S. Vice President JD Vance reportedly told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, “Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems.”