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Leader of volunteers helping Kiev’s draft effort found dead – media Leader of volunteers helping Kiev’s draft effort found dead – media
(about 4 hours later)
The local car dealer was a head of a voluntary “law-enforcement assistance unit” that patrolled with Kiev’s conscription enforcers The dead man was head of a “law-enforcement assistance unit” that patrolled with Kiev’s conscription enforcers
A Ukrainian businessman has been found dead near the city of Odessa, local media reported on Sunday. The entrepreneur was known as the head of a volunteer group actively aiding the local conscription office to implement the national forced mobilization campaign, the reports said. A Ukrainian businessman, involved in the country’s controversial military draft enforcement, has been found dead near Odessa with gunshot wounds, local media reported on Sunday.
A man with gunshot wounds was found on a roadside near the port city of Odessa, police said in a statement on Saturday, without revealing the victim’s identity. A criminal case has been opened into potential murder, they also said.  The victim, identified as car dealer Gennady Beybutyan by journalist Irina Grib, led a so-called volunteer group that worked closely with conscription officers in locating and apprehending potential evaders.
Local journalist Irina Grib identified the victim as Gennady Beybutyan, an entrepreneur who owned several car businesses in the area. According to Grib, the man was found near his car. The police believe it could have been a contract murder or maybe just a conflict on the road, she added.  Authorities have launched a murder investigation, though the motive remains unclear. According to reports, Beybutyan’s group, the “Law Enforcement Assistance Unit,” has played a key role locally in Kiev’s aggressive conscription campaign.
According to Ukrainian media, Beybutyan has in recent times been known as head of the Law Enforcement Assistance Unit, a public group of volunteers that patrol city streets together with the Ukrainian police and participate in conscription agents’ raids, looking for potential draft dodgers.  The unit frequently patrolled streets with police, participating in raids that often turned violent. Ukrainian media outlet Strana.ua reported that the group engaged in beating suspected evaders and smashing car windows in their attempts to stop vehicles for conscription checks.
Ukrainian news media outlet Strana.ua reported that the group was actively involved in Kiev’s forced mobilization efforts, doing “dirty work” like beating suspected draft dodgers. The media outlet also claimed that the group was involved in a corruption scheme that allowed those seeking to escape the draft to do so by bribing conscription officials. According to Strana.ua, the group was literally “looking for” such potential clients. The activities of Beybutyan’s men have come under scrutiny amid allegations of corruption. According to multiple sources, the group was involved in schemes where potential conscripts could bribe their way out of military service.
Beybutyan’s ‘unit’ also became embroiled in a major scandal in February, when its members smashed the window of a car in an attempt to stop it to check if its driver could be drafted, Strana.ua reported. Other media reports suggested that they attacked the vehicle because its driver had sought to film their “mobilization checkpoint” on his phone.  The “volunteers” were reportedly instrumental in identifying those willing to pay to avoid the front lines. The unit’s members were allegedly immune from conscription themselves, adding to suspicions about their involvement in illicit activities.
According to some media reports, the businessman’s group had participated in what was called a “night war” between similar “police-aid” organizations that competed for the right to work with local conscription offices. Privileges for those working with the draft centers involved immunity from mobilization for “assistants,” as well as opportunities to participate in lucrative corruption schemes, Strana.ua claimed. According to the report, Beybutyan’s “unit” was among those who “won” the competition against other, similar groups.  Beybutyan’s men also reportedly engaged in a violent “turf war” with other similar groups that sought the privilege of working with the local conscription offices. These entities competed for access to the lucrative corruption opportunities and conscription exemptions offered to their members.
Neither the Ukrainian police nor the media have openly linked the businessman’s murder to his activities as head of the voluntary police-assistance group. The unit gained notoriety earlier this year when a scandal broke out after they attacked a driver who allegedly filmed one of their roadside conscription checkpoints. The case fueled public outrage.
Ukraine has been struggling to replenish its military ranks amid heavy losses in the conflict with Russia and widespread draft dodging. This spring, Kiev lowered the military service age from 27 to 25 and significantly tightened the country’s mobilization rules, requiring potential recruits to report to conscription offices for “data validation.” These checks often result in people being immediately drafted into the army and sent to the front line.  While local police have not officially tied Beybutyan’s murder to his role in the conscription efforts, his death again highlights the dangerous and often murky environment surrounding Ukraine’s forced mobilization campaign.
Conscription officials have also been increasingly relying on raids to find potential draftees. Earlier in October, military conscription officers conducted a series of raids, hunting draft dodgers in shopping malls, bars, as well as concerts and even at a wedding.  Amid heavy military losses and widespread draft evasion, Kiev has tightened its conscription laws, with ongoing raids targeting men at public venues, such as bars, malls, and even weddings.
 This spring, Kiev lowered the military service age from 27 to 25 and significantly tightened the country’s mobilization rules, requiring potential recruits to report to conscription offices for “data validation.” These checks often result in people being immediately drafted into the army and sent to the front line.