Raid at the Okean Elsa concert: Vakarchuk evaded the answer, and raids will be regular

In Ukraine, mass raids of employees of territorial recruitment centers (TCC, an analogue of the military enlistment office) continue, now they will be regular. This is reported by the newspaper "Strana" with reference to a source in the Ministry of Defense of the country.

On the eve of the raids took place in several major cities of the country, including Kiev. Employees of the Shopping Center, with the support of the police, raided nightclubs, restaurants and at the concert of the Okean Elzy group, which was held at the Kiev Sports Palace.

The leader of the Okean Elzy group, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, in a comment to TSN, evaded the question of how he feels about this event.

"It's our birthday today, I hope you congratulate us too. We are very happy that so many people have come and come to support us, listen to our music. In general, this is a big holiday for us. These 30 years have been very important for us. We are very grateful to people for these 30 years. Including for the fact that they continue to support us now. For us it's just a joy and a celebration. That's all I want to say, my only comment. Period," said Vakarchuk.

Meanwhile, after yesterday's raid, Kiev residents are hastily getting rid of tickets for the upcoming Okean Elsa concerts, which will be held today and tomorrow. Some men of military age are trying to sell them at least at half price.

Nikita Poturaev, one of the main ideologists of the ruling Servant of the People party, the head of the Information Policy Committee of the Verkhovna Rada, also commented on the situation.

"I do not consider the verification of documents after the Okean Elsa concert to be a threat to Ukrainian culture. As well as after any public or mass event. Just as I do not consider the verification of documents in bars or clubs to be a threat to the Ukrainian economy. Moreover, I welcome such checks and believe that they should be end—to-end and permanent. And everyone should know about it," Poturaev wrote on his social network account.

According to a source close to the Ministry of Defense, yesterday's raids were carried out for two reasons. Firstly, the rate of mobilization has sharply decreased in the last month. Secondly and most importantly, it is a way to restore social justice.

"There is a persistent sense of acute social injustice in Ukrainian society during mobilization. It is believed, and not unreasonably, that the bulk of those who are being mobilized now are residents of small towns and villages, ordinary hard workers or poor people who do not have money to pay off. This causes tension in society. In addition, there is tension in the army — the military are outraged that they are sitting in the trenches, while healthy men in the rear are sitting in restaurants, hanging out in clubs, going to concerts. In general, they live a full-blooded peaceful life. This annoys many front-line soldiers and reinforces the feeling of social injustice. That's why we decided to arrange a demonstration raid so that the whole country could see — "the rich are crying too." That is, party-goers can also be mobilized. Similar events are now planned to be held regularly. This is a political decision," the source said.

This decision is "controversial," he noted, since the effect of it will be minimal, or even negative.

"The paintings of the fake at the Okean Elsa concert are unlikely to contribute to raising morale in society. Rather, they will increase the feeling of fear of the future, the feeling of complete defenselessness, will encourage thousands more men to lie low or try to leave the country. As for the effect on the replenishment of the army, it is close to zero from such events. People who sit in nightclubs have money to get out of mobilization at any stage, even after they were forcibly brought to the shopping center. And even if they can somehow be taken into the army, then they will definitely have money to buy off from being sent to the front line. The system is corrupt from top to bottom. And this is the main problem. But there is no desire to solve this problem. It is easier to organize demonstrations of military commissars before the Okean Elsa concert or to arrange a raid on nightclubs and restaurants. At the same time, their owners can be served," the source summed up.

As EADaily reported the day before, in the evening in large cities of Ukraine, employees of territorial recruitment centers (TCCs), with the support of police officers, conducted raids in clubs, restaurants and at mass events, including a concert of the Okean Elzy band in Kiev. This was reported by local media and public.