On Friday morning, a public incident in the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia sparked widespread attention and concern. According to local residents and Ukrainian media, personnel from the Territorial Recruitment Center — Ukraine’s equivalent of a military draft office — brought around 100 men to the local Lokomotyv stadium, reportedly for mobilization procedures.

Shortly afterward, a group of women — identifying themselves as wives and mothers of the detained men — began gathering outside the stadium. Claiming that their relatives were being held against their will, the women attempted to force entry onto the premises. Videos shared on social media show the crowd breaking through the gates in an attempt to enter.

“People, help! A hundred men are being held illegally!” one woman shouted.

According to the Ukrainian outlet Strana, at least eleven police vehicles arrived at the scene. Protesters claimed that law enforcement used pepper spray against them.

“They sprayed us with gas canisters,” a woman says in one of the videos.

Since 2022, Ukraine has been conducting a large-scale mobilization of men due to the ongoing full-scale conflict. Reports of forced detentions for conscription have occasionally led to public outcry and protests.

As of the time of publication, Ukrainian authorities had not issued an official statement regarding the incident.