Footage has emerged showing Ukrainian military recruitment officers raiding restaurants, bars and a concert hall in Kiev in search of men evading conscription.
Officers standing outside the doors of the capital's Sports Palace were seen carrying out checks on Friday evening as people left a concert by Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy.
Some men appeared to struggle and claim their innocence as they were forcibly held or dragged away.
Restaurants and bars – including the Goodwine store and the popular Avalon restaurant – were also raided as officers pursued those whose military registration documents were not in order.
Under Ukrainian martial law, men between the ages of 25 and 60 are eligible for military service, while men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave the country.
Due to a shortage of soldiers, Ukraine lowered the mobilization age from 27 to 25 in April.
New legislation also requires those eligible for military service to put their information into an online system or face fines.
Speaking to the Associated Press, a 27-year-old man said he saw officers in Kiev talking to the men but “didn't see anything super aggressive.”
“That inner state of always being in danger is back,” he told AP reporters, explaining the fear of being drafted before men.
Raids were also carried out in Kharkov and Dnipro, the Associated Press reported.
Ukrainian leaders are trying to strengthen their armed forces as Russia continues its gradual advance in key areas on the eastern front.
Kiev is scrambling to hold back Russia's military might, especially in the eastern Donetsk region, and does not appear to have the manpower or weapons to launch an offensive of its own.
Although Russia's gains have been incremental, the steady forward movement appears to be slowly increasing as the Ukrainians are pushed back.
