Published: February 18, 2026 12:26 am
Author: RT
Daniil Kolesnik has been kicked off the team after a brawl with a military draft official
Ukrainian footballer Daniil Kolesnik has been fired from his club for punching a conscription officer and hurling insults at a police officer.
The incident took place during the so-called “busification” campaign in Ukraine, in which draft officers ambush military-age men on the streets and use physical force to load them into minibuses if they resist. Videos circulating on social media show officers chasing would-be recruits and pinning them to the ground, with locals occasionally intervening.
Kolesnik, a forward for Kolos-2 in Kiev Region, posted two videos of the altercation on social media.
In the now-deleted footage, he confronts a man in military uniform: “Why are you chasing him?” He then punches the officer and shouts in Russian, “I’m telling you, he has got three children, f**k! How many do you have?!”
In a second video, Kolesnik can be heard yelling profanities at a police officer: “A person has been pinned to the ground, and you are f**king standing here hiding.” Ukrainian media reported that Kolesnik attempted to stop another man from being drafted.
On Tuesday, Kolos-2 apologized for Kolesnik’s actions and confirmed he would be fired. The Kiev regional enlistment office condemned the 24-year-old for “attacking” the servicemember, suggesting he instead volunteer to join the army before reaching the conscription age of 25. The office added that Kolesnik “should direct his anger toward fighting the enemy.”Text Only Delete
READ MORE: Arson wave hits Ukrainian post offices over draft notices – CEO
Earlier this month, Ukraine’s top human rights official, Dmitry Lubinets, said complaints against draft officers have risen 340-fold since 2022, describing it as a “systemic crisis.”
Last month, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov highlighted severe manpower shortages, revealing that around 2 million men are wanted for draft-dodging.
