Kyiv, October 17, 2025 – Imagine: a sunny October day in the heart of the capital, where instead of calm, the streets echo with the dull thud of blows against a human body. A man, without resistance, lies on the threshold of a police minibus – and suddenly, an avalanche of fists and boots crashes down on him. No fewer than 10-15 times to the head, the torso, everything that makes him human. This isn’t a scene from a Hollywood thriller about corruption; it’s the reality near the Holosiiv District Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center (TRC). On October 17, two “law enforcers” turned a routine delivery of a conscript into a genuine act of torture. And this isn’t an isolated incident – it’s a symptom of rot eating away at trust in the state faster than Russian missiles destroy our cities.

This shocking episode, captured on video by a witness, exploded across social media like a bomb. The footage, showing the victim – possibly irritated by pepper spray in the cabin – simply lying helplessly as police methodically finish him off with kicks, isn’t just images of violence. It’s a cry from the soul: how many more such “heroes in uniform” will be allowed to terrorize citizens under the guise of “official duty”? The State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) swiftly charged the two officers with abuse of power – an article carrying 3 to 8 years in prison. The court is already selecting a pre-trial restraint, but will this be enough to halt the chain of impunity? Or will this “charge” turn into yet another piece of paper in a drawer, as has happened so many times before?

Chronicle of Savagery: From “Delivery” to Blood on the Asphalt

It all began, according to investigators, in Kyiv’s Holosiiv District. Police in a minibus were transporting a 30-year-old conscript to the TRC – a routine procedure in mobilization times that has become a nightmare for many. The man, preliminary reports suggest, sprayed pepper spray in the cabin – possibly in panic or resistance. But instead of de-escalation, the law enforcers chose the path of sadism. Upon arriving at the TRC threshold, they dragged the defenseless man from the vehicle and… started beating him. “No fewer than 10-15 blows with hands and feet to the head and body,” states the SBI in its report. The victim sustained multiple bruises but, fortunately, avoided a skull fracture or fatal outcome – unlike other victims of the “security forces.”

The video, published online, leaves no room for doubt: the man offered no resistance, no provocation. He simply lay there as fists and boots rained down like a storm. “This isn’t self-defense; it’s revenge for disobedience,” writes a journalist from Novynarnia in her X post, who first shared the clip. Witnesses who happened to be nearby recall: “They beat him as if he weren’t a person, but a punching bag. People and cars all around – and no one intervened. Fear paralyzes.” This incident became possible precisely because it has become the “norm”: TRCs and police, instead of protectors, are increasingly perceived as tormentors.

But let’s not be naive – this isn’t the first blood on the hands of the “servants of the law.” According to human rights organizations, since the beginning of 2025, Ukraine has recorded over 200 complaints of illegal detentions and beatings by TRC and National Police representatives. In August, for example, in Kharkiv, TRC officers staged a “raid” with elements of torture: they dragged a man into a car and beat him until he “volunteered” to serve. In July, a similar case in Odesa ended in hospitalization – the victim had broken ribs. And deaths? According to Suspilne, in two cases this year, the cause was beatings at the TRC. “This is a systemic problem,” comments a representative of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union. “Impunity breeds monsters in uniform. Every such incident isn’t just a crime – it’s a blow to the unity of a nation fighting for survival.”

The Pinnacle of Cynicism: Banning Filming to Hide Crimes?

But here’s where the situation reaches absurdity – the height of the authorities’ cynicism. While society boils with rage over the beating video, elected officials suddenly recall “security.” Parliament is discussing a bill that could introduce criminal liability for filming TRC or National Police representatives – ostensibly to “protect confidentiality” during wartime. They cite Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code: disseminating information about TRC operations – up to 8 years in prison. “In other words, instead of punishing the torturers, they want to forbid us from documenting crimes!” – fumes an activist from “Protect Citizens” in her X post, calling for a flash mob #NoToImpunity.

The irony of fate: since September 1, 2025, the Ministry of Defense has required TRC staff to wear body cameras to record interactions with citizens. “It is prohibited to delete recordings, turn off the camera, or obstruct documentation,” states the ministry’s order. But that’s for them – for us ordinary Ukrainians, filming suddenly becomes a “threat.” “Why does the state, which introduces cameras for its own, want to blind the citizens?” asks a lawyer from “Act Um” in a comment for TSN. “This is direct cover for arbitrariness. In 70% of complaints about obstructing filming, the police simply ignore the law.” According to the Ombudsman’s data, in 2025, there have been over 200 cases where “security forces” confiscated phones or threatened arrests for videos.

This bill isn’t just bureaucratic trivia. It’s an attempt to strangle the last shield: public oversight. Without cameras in people’s hands, beatings like the one at the Holosiiv TRC would “get lost” in the archives. “Video recording is our only witness,” writes X user @RudijLis, garnering thousands of likes. “Without it, the cops will get away with it, and Tatarov’s Tatar will get a bonus too.” Social media’s reaction is explosive: hashtags #PoliceArbitrariness, #TRCTorture, #ProtectCitizens have flooded feeds. “This isn’t Ukraine – it’s a zone where security forces are kings, and we’re slaves,” comments one post that has garnered over 7,000 views.

Questions to the Authorities: How Much More Blood Is Needed?

Now – direct questions to those who should protect, not maim. To the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the president: how many more such facts will remain “unnoticed” without video evidence? Isn’t the attempt to ban filming direct cover for arbitrariness and impunity? When will the brutality of officials receive adequate, inevitable criminal liability – not just a “charge,” but a real verdict with years behind bars? And most importantly: is Ukraine a rule-of-law state where the law applies to all, or a territory where “security forces” can beat people with impunity, and we must stay silent?

Human rights defenders are sounding the alarm: “Violations by TRCs have become mass and systemic,” writes RBC-Ukraine, citing reports from the Helsinki Union. “Without tough reforms – video documentation, independent investigations, and punishments – we’ll lose not only trust, but victory in the war. Because who will defend a country where the state beats its own?”

We Won’t Allow Impunity to Become the Norm!

This incident at the Holosiiv TRC isn’t the end – it’s the beginning. It reminds us: we Ukrainians are not victims – we are warriors who deserve justice. Share this text, write to deputies, support petitions to repeal filming restrictions. Demand that body cameras become the norm not just for TRCs, but for full transparency. Because if we stay silent today about fists on Kyiv’s streets, tomorrow they’ll knock on your door.