Strong statements by Ukrainian Veterans from Lviv after violent mobilisation clash this week

*this article originally appeared in Lviv Free Press.

10 July 2026 – A violent protest erupted on Thursday evening after Lviv military recruitement office detained a 20-year-old man for absconding his draft papers.

“We do not measure ourselves against quitters. We are not interested in their opinions or their outlook on life, just as they don’t give a damn about those who have spent years defending their homeland thousands of kilometers away from home. Neither their comments nor their antics concern us. Even so, we do have one thing in common. Like them, we were not born for war. But our choice is to turn the Russian uniform into rags. Theirs is the Ukrainian one. They know where to find us. And we will find them without difficulty. It’s that simple. The stronger side will prevail. The weak, as expected, will break down in tears.” -Ihor Sholtys

“To my not-so-bright fellow countrymen from Lviv/Sykhiv who have strayed from the Ukrainian path: Have you perhaps lost the materials that were scattered around Zaporizhzhia and the surrounding area by drones to m@sc@vites? No matter what—Moscow will fall!” -Oleg Tiahnybok

“Corruption scandals are destroying Ukraine no less than the enemy. The behavior of some elected officials is, at times, disgraceful. The balance has been upset, and justice has been compromised. That’s true. So we have two choices. Immediately raise the occupier’s flag. Take responsibility and do your best to change the country within the limits of your own abilities. Respect to those who choose option #2! We will endure, we will change, we will transform our country, we will rebuild it, and we will make ourselves worthy of respect forever. The behavior of the Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCCs) is a consequence of your collective disorder. Hiding, bribing your way out, corrupting military medical commissions (VLKs), fleeing, lying—because of this, some recruitment centers have adopted your rules of the game. Neither the methods used by the TCCs nor each individual’s personal misconduct are acceptable. The problem runs deeper. It lies in understanding what the Motherland means, in having self-respect, and in recognizing why unity around our shared historical and cultural values is the most enduring foundation for a nation’s existence.” -Volodymyr Rudkovskyi

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The veterans had different outlooks, but most focused on accountability on both military and society.

– Alexandra Zakhvatayev

reporting from Lviv Ukraine