‘Shameful Four’: Ukraine’s Ombudsman Names Regions with Most Complaints Against Military Recruitment Offices — But a Chief Caught with Cash Was Reinstated

On October 13, in an interview with Radio Svoboda, Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets publicly named four regions where TCCs — the military recruitment offices responsible for mobilization — most frequently violate citizens’ rights: Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Lviv, and Zakarpattia. He called them the “shameful four” (hanebna chetvirka), a term that instantly made headlines.

According to Lubinets, these regions have been leaders in the number of complaints “year after year.” If you think such a public naming would lead to accountability, you are either naive or have not been following Ukraine’s governance. Lubinets himself provided a perfect illustration of impunity.

The case that explains everything

In December 2025, the SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) and National Police searched the premises of the Zakarpattia regional TCC leadership. The reason: a criminal investigation into illegal deprivation of liberty (triggered by a volunteer’s report of threats from TCC officials). During the search, according to journalist Vitaliy Hlahola, about $100,000 in cash was found in the office of the TCC chief, Andriy Savchuk. Law enforcement did not officially confirm the exact amount, but the search and seizure of foreign currency are confirmed.

The Ombudsman’s office demanded Savchuk’s dismissal. He was indeed fired in January 2026. Justice seemed to prevail — but not for long.

Two months later, back in charge

In March 2026, Andriy Savchuk, who had been transferred to a reserve battalion, was seconded back to the Zakarpattia regional TCC. By order of the “West” Operational Command — for 30 days, to serve as acting chief. Andriy Podik, head of the communications department of the Land Forces Command, confirmed this. By October 2026, Lubinets stated that Savchuk had been “reinstated as acting head.”

So within two months, a man whose office was searched by the SBU and who was found with a large amount of cash was returned to the same position. The decision, according to the Ombudsman, was made by the then-leadership of the Land Forces Command.

The obvious questions: Who exactly made that decision? Have they faced any consequences? Is the criminal case against Savchuk still ongoing? There are no answers. Neither the Ministry of Defense nor Savchuk himself has commented.

Numbers that speak volumes

In 2026 (as of October), the Ombudsman’s office received more than 5,800 complaints about TCC actions. For the entire year of 2025, the figure was over 6,000. The problem is not shrinking — it remains consistently massive.

How many complaints come from each of the “shameful four” specifically is unknown — Lubinets did not provide a breakdown. But the fact that the same regions lead “year after year” suggests that local leadership either cannot or will not fix the issue. And higher command does not seem to push them.

Why this is systemic, not incidental

The Savchuk case is not about one “bad apple” TCC chief. It shows that even after an SBU search, after the Ombudsman’s demand, after a dismissal — the system brings the person back. This means there are protectors within the system, and they sit high enough — at the level of the Land Forces Command.

Lubinets directly linked the situation to the lack of systemic response from the previous leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the Land Forces. In other words: as long as commanders cover for their subordinates, complaints will remain just complaints.

What this means for ordinary Ukrainians

If you live in Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Lviv, or Zakarpattia oblasts, the chance that your local TCC will act within the law is lower than in other regions. But even if you are not in the “four,” there is no guarantee — these regions simply have the most acute problem.

And the key question: you can file a complaint, but will it matter? The Zakarpattia story shows that even when the Ombudsman secures a dismissal, the military command can reverse it. And no one is held accountable.

What comes next?

Lubinets’ public statement is a signal. But a signal without consequences is just noise. Will the Ministry of Defense now actually clean up the TCCs? Will criminal cases be opened against those who reinstated Savchuk? Will the breakdown of complaints by region be published so the public can monitor?

For now, there is no answer. And without an answer, the “shameful four” will remain the four — and other regions may join them. The system does not change because no one forces it to.