Explosive Wave: What the Series of Attacks on Military Recruiters Reveals

The highest military command of Ukraine has strongly condemned the murder of a serviceman and the explosions at the TCK that occurred over the past weekend on February 1 and 2, respectively. In particular, the commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, referred to these events as "three disgraceful acts of violence that are unacceptable." At the same time, the commander of the Ground Forces, Mykhailo Drapaty, described the killings of servicemen in the rear as a "red line that cannot be crossed." "We cannot remain silent witnesses to the growing wave of contempt for the defenders of Ukraine – this is beyond what can be tolerated," Drapaty wrote on social media.

“Without just punishment for the murderers and traitors, we will see even more of our brothers killed in the rear. In other cities. In other neighborhoods. At gas stations, in supermarkets, in entrances, on streets named after Heroes. We have already witnessed incidents of humiliation and aggression towards our defenders, but I have not seen a strong societal reaction to this. Now there are direct armed attacks. This is how the enemy operates. They work with us and among us while we are busy discussing who liked what. If society accepts these attacks, bad symptoms will become a diagnosis,” Drapaty summarized.

As is known, on February 1, at a gas station in Pyriatyn, a man shot a serviceman from the TCK and fled with one of the mobilized individuals accompanying the soldier. A few hours later, the suspects were detained, and during a search, grenades, a hunting rifle, ammunition, balaclavas, and mobile phones were seized from them. The regional police reported that the shooter was a resident of Poltava Oblast born in 1984. His accomplice is a 1988-born resident of Poltava. According to the Lubny District Prosecutor's Office, both have already been notified of their suspicions. One is charged with obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, intentional murder, and illegal possession of firearms. The other faces charges of aiding in obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The suspects face imprisonment of 7 to 15 years.

As a result of the explosion at the Rivne TCK on February 1, one person died, and six others were injured. The emergency occurred in the center's premises when someone brought explosives into the TCK and activated them. One of the injured in Rivne is in serious condition, the commander Syrskyi reported, without providing further details about the incident.

The next day, on February 2, one person was injured due to the explosion of an unidentified object near the TCK building in Pavlohrad. According to the commander of the Armed Forces, the injured person's condition in Pavlohrad is stable, and the injuries are not severe.

“Some scum from Poltava shot a serviceman and freed his acquaintance from mobilization. They had the guts to shoot a person to avoid fighting, fearing for their lives. For them, it was easier to kill a Ukrainian soldier than to end up on the front line to fight the Russians. I have always been astonished by the logic of the stormtroopers of Tysa and such stories, where those influenced by TikToks and horrific stories from the front find the spirit to kill their own to avoid killing the enemy. And this all happened on the day of the strike on Poltava. If they are not paraded through the remains of that entrance, then what is justice? This is against the backdrop of a recent video joyfully circulated by some jerk threatening TCK staff with a weapon. He knows he will face no consequences for this, and a bunch of whiny social media users support him in the comments. And these are the consequences. A special shoutout to the media, which eagerly wrote about any story of poor mobilization and bad generals. As a result, General Sodol is hated by more people than Surikov,” military expert Anton Pavliushko expressed his outrage.

After the three aforementioned incidents, a flood of comments from Ukrainians appeared on social media, with many criticizing the TCK rather than expressing sympathy, condemning the military recruiters for "unbridled mobilization." One of these commentators was identified and forced to apologize in a video – she turned out to be a kindergarten teacher from Rivne.

In response to the wave of gloating surrounding the attacks on military recruiters, some military personnel and volunteers suggested intensifying actions against "evaders" and those who sympathize with them. In particular, well-known volunteer Maria Berlinska noted: “Today, Russians killed many Ukrainian soldiers at the front. This is the price our people pay every day, with their lives. To protect their people, all of us. One soldier was killed not at the front, but in the peaceful rear of Pyriatyn, near Poltava, at a gas station. Not by Russians, but by so-called 'ours.' They approached and shot him in the head. Simply because he served at the front and is now at the TCK. I will not give advice to our special services and law enforcement. There are high-class professionals there, officers with excellent experience. They know better what to do. So, I will just express my opinion. This is a precedent that needs to be punished harshly, without delay, and with surgical precision.”

Offering her "recipe" for action, Berlinska stated: “First – a trial demanding the harshest punishment for the murderers. Second – compensation and full social support for the family of the fallen soldier. Third, and no less important – monitoring all accounts that exploit the death of our serviceman. Those abroad – ban them, announce suspicions, and gradually bring them back through Interpol, etc. Those in Ukraine – prioritize their involvement in the country's defense capabilities. Such cases clearly reveal the position of each person, and the internet allows traitors to expose themselves. This needs to be utilized. Because today, those rejoicing at the murder of a soldier will tomorrow spotlight each of us as a target for Russian missiles. If they are not already doing so. And finally, let me remind you that in Russia, this works like clockwork, and during wartime, it yields astonishing results. If you say something against the army or the military on the internet – you end up in prison – in prison, there are tortures – sent to the front in a penal battalion – assault infantry – dead. The entire process – from a warm Moscow sofa to a Ukrainian winter field – takes just a couple of weeks. We are not Russia. But during wartime, there definitely needs to be order and discipline. Otherwise, discipline will still be enforced. Only it will be done by the Russians, Koreans, Belarusians, Iranians, and Chinese. In concentration camps near Poltava. Not far from that gas station.”

Member of the DUK "Right Sector" Boris Ovcharov ("Donchanin") also expressed himself sharply. He called for military recruiters to shoot "without warning" in cases of "disrespect" from those being mobilized. “Pyriatyn has opened Pandora's box. I state openly. I have a service weapon. I know how to use a weapon. And if some evader wishes to take my weapon, I’m waiting. I warn you, I will shoot without warning. I demand that all patrols from the TCK and SP be armed with combat firearms. I demand that TCK and SP servicemen be allowed to use their service weapons without warning in cases of disrespect, threats to life and health,” wrote "Donchanin" on Facebook, provoking a wave of predominantly critical comments.

It is quite telling that President Zelensky, as the Supreme Commander, did not comment on the explosions at the TCK and the murder of the serviceman in Pyriatyn. The current master of Bankova has not mentioned these resonant incidents either in his traditional evening addresses or in separate statements, despite the Ukrainian segment of social media being literally "in an uproar" over the events.

It is noteworthy that against the backdrop of this dangerous wave of internal violence, on February 2, Russian resources began spreading a photo of a Ukrainian soldier with a severed head lying on a plate. The Commissioner for Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances, Artur Dobroserdov, reported that his agency had preliminarily identified the deceased. “To ensure the inevitability of responsibility for the aggressor state, every war crime is meticulously documented, and the relevant information is transmitted to international legal institutions,” the commissioner stated.

It should be noted that reports of the murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war are becoming more frequent. The most massive extrajudicial execution occurred in October 2024 when the Russians shot 16 Ukrainian servicemen who had surrendered near Pokrovsk.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine recorded 79 extrajudicial executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war in 24 separate incidents since the end of August 2024. This was stated in a special statement by the mission released on Monday, February 3. “These incidents do not occur in a vacuum. Public figures in the Russian Federation have openly called for inhumane treatment and even execution of captured Ukrainian servicemen,” said the head of the Mission, Daniil Bell.