Daniil Kolesnik maintains he was saving an acquaintance from violent conscription officers
Ukrainian football player Daniil Kolesnik faces up to five years in prison for an altercation with mobilization enforcers, who he accuses of abusing their authority.
Since Kiev lacks volunteer troops, it relies on mandatory conscription to replenish frontline losses. Officials hunting for draftees are frequently accused of using excessive force, and videos of so-called ‘busification’ regularly appear online.
The 24-year-old forward was fired by his club Kolos-2 after revealing his confrontation with a mobilization patrol on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Kiev police released a photo of a handcuffed Kolesnik, stating he is accused of intentionally punching an officer on duty.
In the Instagram video Kolesnik originally posted, he can be heard denouncing a conscription official for trying to grab a father of three – who presumably had a military exemption.
That video and his other posts were later removed, but then Kolesnik published CCTV footage of the incident, which he says proves he had reason to intervene.
The footage shows a van intercepting a running man, who is then grabbed by several people. One is heard threatening to open fire. Another figure, believed to be Kolesnik, rushes in and fights with one of the patrolmen.
“I stood up for a man who I believed was a victim of illegal actions,” he stated. “I did not attack anyone, I was defending from unprovoked aggression. I did not hide from responsibility. On the contrary, I went to the police station and submitted the video and my explanations.”
His lawyers argued self-defense during a court appearance later Wednesday, where a judge ordered pre-trial nighttime house arrest.
Fellow players Aleksandr Aliev and Artem Milevsky expressed support, with Aliev saying in a video: “Why are they [draft officials] allowed to beat up people, and you are kicked out of the team for a punch. I fully support you.”
The Ukrainian government claims most ‘busification’ videos are fabrications, but earlier this month human rights ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets told lawmakers his office is receiving an “avalanche” of complaints against draft officials.
