Conscript in Rivne region dies at recruitment point: TCC claims heart failure, family insists on investigation
25 August 15:34
vitaliy Sakharuk, a 34-year-old conscript, died on August 21 at a recruitment center in Rivne Oblast, where he was taken after his documents were checked. The incident was reported by the Rivne Regional Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support (TSC and SP), "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to the TCC, the man was stopped in the village of Horodets while checking his documents. It turned out that he did not appear on call and violated the rules of military registration. He had no deferment from service. He was offered to go to the district military commissariat to draw up a report under Articles 210 and 210-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (“Violation of the rules of military registration by conscripts”).
The center notes that Sakharuk agreed and arrived at the institution together with representatives of the MCC. After drawing up the protocol, he was sent to the military medical commission, and then to the assembly point for sending him to the training center. It was there that he became ill.
“An ambulance was called, but doctors pronounced him dead on the spot. The cause was heart failure,” the TCC said in an official statement.
The Rivne Regional Police opened proceedings under Part 1 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code (“Intentional Murder”), a standard procedure for clarifying the circumstances of death. The police emphasize that initial data indicate that the death was of a natural nature. According to doctors, the man suffered a stroke, and there were no signs of beating.
However, the relatives of the deceased question the official version. “Suspilne, citing Vitaliy’s mother, Nina Sakharuk, reports that her son was held in the district’s shopping center for three days. The family learned of his death only on August 23, when the body was already in the morgue.
The man’s body has now been sent for forensic examination. The family insists on a transparent investigation and explanations from the military commissariat.
In recent months, several cases of men dying in the premises or on the territory of the TCC have been recorded in Ukraine, which has caused a public outcry:
- Kyiv, July 2025. A 36-year-old man died in the Darnytsia shopping mall after being examined by a medical doctor. According to the official version, it was heart failure. His family demanded additional examination.
- Dnipro, June 2025. A 40-year-old conscript died in the city’s recruitment center. Witnesses said he felt sick after a long wait in line. Doctors diagnosed a heart attack.
- Lviv region, May 2025. A 28-year-old man died at a collection point. According to preliminary data, the cause was thromboembolism.
- Odesa region, April 2025. A 33-year-old serviceman suddenly died during a medical examination at the district MCC. The investigation revealed problems with the cardiovascular system.
In most cases, law enforcement officers opened criminal proceedings under Article 115 of the Criminal Code (“Premeditated Murder”), a standard practice that allows for the case to be reclassified after the results of an examination. At the same time, the relatives of the victims often questioned the official versions and demanded independent investigations.
