The number of suspects in the Odessa Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support torture case has risen to 13: The SBI served new notifications of suspicion

The State Bureau of Investigation systematically and consistently assists the leadership of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in eradicating negative practices within the system of district Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support. During military operations, any disruption to the lawful mobilization process is an extremely dangerous precedent.

With the assistance of the Military Prosecutor’s Office of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the employees of the SBI identified four more employees of a district recruitment center in the Odesa region who were involved in the unlawful detention of and violence against citizens.

The suspects have been served notifications of suspicion for unlawful deprivation of liberty and kidnapping, committed by a group of individuals acting in concert and resulting in physical suffering to the victim (Part 2 of Article 146 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The total number of suspects in this case has now risen to 13.

As a reminder, in June 2026, the SBI exposed a group of nine people—six employees of the same district Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support, and three representatives of a local nonprofit organization.

According to the investigation, they organized the illegal transport and detention of men at the Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support. Representatives of the nonprofit organization helped to track down people and gathered information about them.

The employees of the SBI documented numerous instances of abuse. The victims were unlawfully detained, beaten, intimidated, and subjected to psychological pressure.

Nine members of the group who were previously apprehended are being held in custody without the right to bail. They are suspected of torture, unlawful deprivation of liberty, and robbery committed by an organized group (Part 3 of Article 127, Part 2 of Article 146, and Part 4 of Article 186 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. The employees of the SBI continue to establish all the circumstances of the crimes and identify other individuals who may be involved.

The procedural guidance is provided by The Odessa Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Defense Affairs in the Southern Region.