Instructions in case of a roundup. The password "SOS" signals intrusion
Recent raids on gyms and sports facilities by the staff of the Territorial Recruitment Center (TCC) have led to facilities being deserted. A gym chain has responded by issuing special instructions for its employees and customers. According to them, the password "SOS" implies men should retreat to "safe zones". This move follows a sudden desertion of gyms in Ukraine over the past few days.
10:42 AM EST, December 11, 2023
The sudden raids on gyms and other sports facilities led to much uproar last week. Pictures and videos featuring military commissioners stationed at facility entrances swept the Internet. Men were subjected to document checks and received a corresponding summons.
Instructions Issued Following Ukrainian Gym Raids
Such incidents have transpired in Kyiv, Ternopil, Uzhhorod, Lviv, Dnipro, Mukachevo, and Odesa.
On Saturday, the country was shocked by the news of a raid carried out at Kosino Thermal Water Centre in Transcarpathia. The resort authority reported dozens of armed military personnel barging onto the site and forcibly issuing army summons to men. Two men were arrested for resisting the draft.
The Password "SOS" Acts as a Warning Signal
Reportedly, one of Ukraine's gym chains prepared special guidelines for its employees and visitors, in case TCC officers decide to make an unplanned visit.
Following the gym raids in Transcarpathia, one of the franchises made a public statement, asserting a strong objection against the delivery of summons at sports facilities.
Responding to these charges, the Transcarpathian conscription unit declared that "those draft-age men who knowingly evade military service by working out or frequenting shopping malls, are not privileged, in contrast to the Armed Forces workers of Ukraine. Therefore, within the scope of mobilization activities summons can be issued legally".
From an online post, we learn what steps to take during a raid by military commissioners. The Unian agency published this 7-point document.
Employees are required to alert all colleagues the moment military commissioners are spotted around the building. The facility administrator then broadcasts a message to the group citing "attention" - implying the arrival of TCC officials.
The guidelines specify, "Every male employee, upon receiving this message, should get ready to abandon their current task and seek safety in a designated area." The document insists on not fleeing immediately but being prepared for a rapid exit. They are also encouraged to block TCC officers at the gates, but if they persist, an employee should send an "SOS" message.
The message "SOS", as per the document, is a clear signal that TCC officials have infiltrated the facility. As a result, it is reported that over the past few days, gyms have become eerily deserted.
