Commenting on the attack on service members of the territorial recruitment center (TRC) in Lviv on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine called it unacceptable, warned against the spread of hate speech toward their own army, and called for bringing the attackers to justice.
"The position of the Ministry of Defense is consistent—everyone is equal before the law. Responsibility must follow in any case of violence and aggression. The only one who benefits from such situations is Russia. Hate speech toward our own army will lead to irreversible changes," the ministry noted in a comment on Facebook.
The ministry emphasized that mobilization is a necessary component of defending Ukraine. At the same time, it noted that mobilization methods need improvement and this process is ongoing.
"We expect law enforcement agencies to properly assess the situation in Lviv. The offenders must be identified and brought to justice," the ministry concluded.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also released a comment condemning any attacks on TRC service members.
"In the twelfth year of Russian armed aggression and the fifth year of repelling the full-scale invasion by Russia, such actions are unacceptable, illegal, and directly undermine the defense capability of the state. The events that occurred in Lviv bear signs of obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine under the legal regime of martial law. We call on law enforcement agencies to ensure a comprehensive, objective, and impartial investigation into this case, and to bring those responsible to justice in accordance with the requirements of current legislation. Ukrainian warriors who perform combat missions at the front every day must be confident that the state ensures law and order in the rear," the General Staff said in a Facebook post.
At the same time, the General Staff emphasized that an internal review is being conducted regarding the lawfulness of the actions of service members of the territorial recruitment and social support center. If violations are established, the guilty persons will be held accountable in accordance with the procedure established by law.
"No disputes regarding the lawfulness of the actions of officials or service members can justify the use of violence. A legal assessment of each case must be provided exclusively by authorized state bodies. Protecting the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine is a constitutional duty of Ukrainian citizens. Service members of TRCs, who carry out notification measures, perform important tasks to ensure the manning of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, on which the state’s ability to continue effective repelling of Russia’s aggression directly depends," the General Staff summarized.
Citizens were urged to remain calm, not to succumb to provocations and misinformation, to act exclusively within the law, and to unite around the Defense Forces of Ukraine in the fight for Ukraine’s independence.
The Command of the Ground Forces also condemned the attack.
"The fact of an attack on Ukrainian service members performing their official duties during the large-scale invasion by Russia into Ukraine is a gross violation of Ukrainian legislation and definitely does not help Ukraine defeat Russia. Law enforcement agencies are currently establishing all the circumstances of the event. The guilty persons will be identified and held accountable as provided by current legislation," a post on the Telegram channel reads.
As reported, an incident involving the blocking of an official vehicle occurred in Lviv on July 8 during notification measures for a citizen who, according to the TRC, was on the wanted list, as a result of which a crowd overturned vehicles of the recruitment center.
Following this, the head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, Maksym Kozytskyi, reported that he held an urgent meeting with law enforcement officers regarding the situation with the blocking of the TRC vehicle in Sykhiv. According to him, the Lviv Regional TRC will conduct an internal investigation into the lawfulness of the actions of the service members.
