Anatolii Amelin, co-founder of the Ukrainian Institute for the Future, has estimated the volume of the illegal "services" market within the system of territorial recruitment and social support centers (TCK) at $5 billion per year. According to financial experts, this figure is generated through bribes at various stages of the mobilization process. This was reported by UkrRudProm citing Ukraynskyi Ynstytut Budushcheho, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
A shadow sector has emerged within the TCK operational framework, where the cost of “resolving issues” varies depending on the procedural stage. According to institute representatives, corruption risks accompany draftees from the moment of street document checks to deployment after completing training centers.
The bribery system covers all stages of mobilization
At initial stages, such as checkpoints or street inspections, informal payments can reach several thousand dollars. As the process moves into TCK offices or involves attempts to avoid being sent to training centers, the amounts of illicit gains, according to estimates, increase significantly, reaching tens of thousands of dollars.
Experts emphasize that the failure to implement an official economic reservation mechanism has led to the expansion of shadow schemes. Instead of legal budget revenues that could be directed toward financing the defense sector, substantial volumes of capital remain within illegal circulation.
Illustrative photo: Дністровська районна військова адміністрація Чернівецької області / CC BY 4.0
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