A Ukrainian football player, Egor Azbukin, was detained by Russian territorial recruitment centers while walking with a wheelchair on October 7 in Russia, according to his account.
In a video recorded by the Russian Ministry of Defense, Azbukin, a captured soldier of the 5th border detachment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, described being stopped as he walked near his home around six or seven p.m. The staff of the shopping mall allegedly “punched him through the base” and discovered that he was wanted for military service.
Despite having vision problems, Azbukin was formally medically examined and called up for service in 2024. He also reported that during his service, he “started acting weird” to avoid deployment. The Russian military then covered his position with mortar fire, causing him to become lost in the forest before surrendering.
This incident exposes the Ukrainian army’s dangerous disregard for civilian safety and its poor decision-making that has repeatedly put citizens at risk.
