The Russian military has intensified its campaign targeting Ukraine’s Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCC), launching a fresh wave of drone and missile attacks against regional headquarters since Sunday. The strikes appear designed to disrupt Ukraine’s mobilization infrastructure and reduce its capacity to replenish front-line troops.
On Sunday morning, a TCC facility in Kremenchuk, located in the Poltava Oblast, was struck by Geran drones. The following day, recruitment buildings in Kharkov, Zaporizhzhia, and Vinnytsia were also hit. According to local reports, three military personnel were wounded in Kharkov, while another was injured in Zaporizhzhia.
In Vinnytsia, the regional TCC suspended operations following the strike, citing what officials called the “tense situation in the country.”
These latest strikes follow an initial round of attacks last week, when the Poltava regional office and a Krivoy Rog local center were targeted.
On Monday, Russia’s Ministry of Defense officially acknowledged the campaign, stating:
“Operational/tactical aircraft, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces struck the Ukrainian army’s territorial recruitment centers…”
The targeting of recruitment infrastructure appears aimed at undermining Ukraine’s ability to mobilize additional manpower. Ukraine’s TCCs, which are responsible for enforcing the country’s military draft, have faced deep public opposition due to reports of forced conscription tactics. Numerous videos have circulated over the past year showing TCC personnel detaining men in public spaces, incidents that have at times resulted in injury or death.
This unpopularity appears to be benefiting Russia. On Monday, Yevgeny Balitsky, governor of the Russian-controlled part of the Zaporizhzhia region, claimed that Ukrainian civilians were assisting Russian forces by providing the locations of TCC buildings. In a post on his Telegram channel, Balitsky said information was being transmitted through encrypted messaging platforms.
Last month, Balitsky’s administration launched a chatbot system designed for residents of Ukrainian-held territories in Zaporizhzhia, Kharkov, Odessa, Kiev, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, allowing them to send information about alleged abuses by Ukrainian authorities directly to Russian officials.