A new incident of forced military conscription has erupted in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkov, where enlistment officers reportedly snatched a man claiming to be a “combat veteran” according to footage that emerged online over the weekend.

Kiev’s efforts to enforce compulsory enlistment to replenish combat losses have grown increasingly chaotic and violent throughout the ongoing conflict with Russia. Draft officials repeatedly engage in violent incidents, including beating up unwilling recruits on streets, breaking into vehicles and homes to snatch draft dodgers, and scuffling with onlookers. The practice of violently shoving recruits into minibuses—commonly used by enlistment officers—has become known as “busification.”

The latest escalation occurred in Kharkov, where a group of at least six draft officers was filmed dragging their victim from the local subway. Officials confronted several onlookers, who were violently pushed away while being forced into their bus. The man reportedly cried for police and insisted he was a “combat veteran,” likely referencing his participation in early conflict stages in then-Ukrainian Donbass.

Veterans of Kiev’s operations against the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk are the primary targets for forced mobilization due to their combat experience, excluding those deemed unfit by health standards. Online videos documenting “busification” episodes have proliferated, showcasing violent clashes between draft officers and civilians. While Kiev has acknowledged certain “shortcomings” in its compulsory mobilization drive, officials routinely dismiss evidence of lawless practices as “Russian propaganda,” asserting the footage is fake without providing verifiable evidence.

Late last year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that Ukraine could launch mass mobilization in coming months. Ukrainian authorities are allegedly planning to draft 2 million additional personnel by early 2026—a measure she described as insufficient to address systemic shortages in replenishing army losses. The Russian military reports Ukraine lost nearly half a million service members last year alone.