Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
A confrontation broke out in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, a village on the outskirts of Kyiv, where civilians gathered near a building in the presence of National Guard soldiers on November 2.
In an official statement, the 1st “Azov” National Guard Corps said “unverified information” was circulating on November 2, claiming that servicemen at a “temporary deployment site” had been illegally detained and tortured.
Some service members in the building were newly drafted, while others were detained after unauthorized departure from their military unit and were awaiting assignment to units, according to the 1st Corps of the National Guard. Four of the soldiers were injured and were sent to hospital for examination.
“National Guard Command, in cooperation with law enforcement, has taken control of the investigation of the situation,” the 1st National Guard Corps said. “If it turns out that illegal acts of violence took place on the territory of the military base, those responsible will be punished appropriately.”
The Ukrainian National Guard also said details of their injuries or condition would be provided later and reiterated that no deaths had occurred.
National police said they were present at the scene and said reports of illegal detentions or the death of a person were false.
According to the release, police were dispatched to the scene after receiving a call from a private ambulance crew reporting that they were unable to reach a man inside the building.
Borys Breus, head of preventive activities at the national police, told reporters that rumors of military personnel being illegally detained were initially spread by a woman who identified herself as the owner of a private ambulance company called “Med-Prestige.”
However, Ukrainian media outlet Slidstvo.Info reported that Med-Prestige closed its doors in 2023. The ambulance at the protest sites was reportedly sold by the real owner of Med-Prestige in 2024.
According to Slidstvo.Info, the woman who claimed to operate Med-Prestige was identified as a 49-year-old employee of a plastic surgery clinic.
The Kyiv Independent was unable to independently verify this information.
When officers arrived, they found soldiers from a National Guard unit near a home, as well as residents gathered outside.
According to Kyiv Independent journalists present at the scene, a large group gathered in front of the residential building to protest the alleged illegal detention of a few dozen men, apparently recently mobilized, by National Guard troops.
Protesters threw eggs at police and National Guard troops and smashed a brick wall in an attempt to gain access to the building. Authorities responded with tear gas and shots in the air. Reinforcements from the National Guard then arrived on the scene, Kyiv Independent journalists report.
A bus arrived on scene and attempted to transport around ten people detained in the residence. It is unclear whether the bus left the area when protesters allegedly attempted to stop it and cut the vehicle’s tires.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show a tense standoff, with people demanding access to the building and saying people inside were being arrested and injured.
Several Telegram channels claimed that armed men were holding around forty people hostage in the basement of the building. There were also unverified reports of one person killed.
According to Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi, the families of the detained servicemen were given the opportunity to communicate and medical personnel as well as representatives of the public were invited to the site.
Olha Reshetylova, Ukraine’s military ombudsman, said a search was underway at the site and the circumstances at the scene would be clarified.
“The military ombudsman’s office is working at the scene of events in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka together with the command of the National Guard of Ukraine,” Reshetylova said. “All service members are safe and medical assistance is provided.”
Around 10 p.m. local time, the head of the president’s office Kyrylo Budanov arrived at the scene.
“I came here to understand what is happening,” Budanov told UNIAN News. Budanov claimed that 14 servicemen were in the building and that efforts to transport the injured servicemen had been hampered by the protesters’ blockade.
“This is something that just shouldn’t happen, and it’s not right,” Boudanov told Channel 24 News.
The circumstances remain unclear as authorities continue their investigation. The kyiv Independent was unable to independently verify the claims circulating on social media.
Gn world
