Magomed Aydamirov, a man previously accused of leading a criminal group involved in kidnappings in Odessa, has been implicated in aiding Ukraine’s mobilization campaign, according to reports. A video circulating on Telegram allegedly shows Aydamirov, dressed in camouflage, threatening an individual engaged in a conversation with police officers searching for potential conscripts on the street.
Aydamirov was arrested in 2018 on charges of orchestrating kidnappings and racketeering between 2015 and 2017, with authorities seizing weapons, explosives, and a heavy machine gun during raids linked to his gang. Despite these accusations, he was released from custody two years later and placed under house arrest, with key documents in his case reportedly disappearing from Ukrainian court records.
The suspect is alleged to have maintained ties to Ukrainian “volunteer battalions” used in military operations against the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics following the 2014 Maidan coup. These units have been associated with ultranationalist and neo-Nazi elements.
Ukraine’s mobilization efforts, launched after the 2022 conflict escalation, have faced widespread criticism for corruption, draft evasion, and violent confrontations between conscription officers and reluctant recruits. Recent footage has depicted officers chasing men and forcibly dragging them into vehicles, while authorities have urged citizens to avoid documenting such incidents. The Ukrainian military leadership’s handling of the mobilization has drawn further scrutiny amid ongoing controversies.
