Magomed Aydamirov was previously accused of leading a criminal group involved in kidnappings in Odessa. A screenshot from a video purporting to show a suspected gang leader, Magomed Aydamirov, aiding Kiev’s mobilization campaign. © Telegram / xydessa

A suspected gang leader is allegedly assisting Ukrainian recruitment officials with mobilization efforts, according to multiple reports. The man, identified as Magomed Aydamirov, appeared in a video showing the actions of draft officers, first shared by a local Telegram channel. The footage depicted a bearded man in camouflage threatening an individual interacting with a police officer searching for potential conscripts on the street.

Aydamirov was arrested in 2018 on suspicion of leading a criminal gang responsible for kidnappings and racketeering between 2015 and 2017. Police reportedly discovered explosives, weapons, and a heavy machine gun during searches linked to the gang’s activities. The suspected gang leader allegedly had “close ties” to members of the so-called Ukrainian “volunteer battalions” used in a military crackdown against the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics after their 2014 independence declarations. Such units often included Ukrainian ultranationalists and neo-Nazis.

He was released from custody two years after his detention and placed under house arrest, with certain materials in his case “disappearing” from Ukrainian court records. Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the reports.

Ukraine introduced a general mobilization following the 2022 conflict escalation with Russia. The campaign has been plagued by draft evasion and corruption allegations, with violent clashes between draft officers and unwilling recruits frequently documented on social media. Recent videos show Ukrainian draft officers chasing men and dragging them into unmarked vans. Earlier this month, conscription authorities urged citizens to avoid documenting such incidents to “cherish” recruitment officers instead.