The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said it had identified around 100 people who actively participated in unrest outside a building used by the National Guard near kyiv, which investigators suspect was organized to kidnap a serviceman who had left his unit without permission.
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Deputy SBU head Ivan Rudnytskyi said Tuesday that searches were underway in some of their homes and investigators were considering detentions and criminal charges. At least one woman was arrested.
The unrest began on Monday, November 2, in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, a suburb of kyiv, where around 100 people gathered in front of a private house, according to Suspilne, the Ukrainian public broadcaster, following reports on social media that dozens of men were being held against their will in its basement.
Some articles described the building as a “house of horrors”, claiming that soldiers were tortured there.
It later emerged that the building was used to house National Guard service members, including those who had returned after leaving their military units without authorization.
The confrontation degenerated into clashes with the police. Gunshots were heard and police vehicles were damaged, according to the National Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine.
Top officials, including National Guard Commander Oleksandr Pivnenko and Presidential Office Head Kyrylo Budanov, arrived at the scene Monday evening.
Budanov said on Tuesday that it was “already reliably known that yesterday’s events in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka did not occur without influence.”
“The individuals and initiators of these events will undoubtedly be identified and punished,” he said, adding that the Attorney General’s Office and relevant authorities had opened an investigation.
Questions about the ambulance
A woman who arrived in an ambulance and identified herself as a medical professional was among those spreading the allegations.
An investigation by Ukrainian media outlet Slidstvo.Info revealed that the Med-Prestige clinic, which the woman claimed to represent, ceased operations in 2023. Its owner told the media outlet that the ambulance used at the location was sold in 2024, with buyers required to remove the company’s brand.
According to the deputy head of the SBU, investigators believe the unrest was deliberately organized to kidnap a National Guard serviceman who had left his unit without authorization and was subsequently arrested.
The SBU opened a criminal case for obstructing the lawful activities of the armed forces and unauthorized disclosure of information on military sites.
A separate investigation into the mass unrest, initially carried out by the national police, was also incorporated into the proceedings.
Separate investigation into possible military misconduct
Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi rejected allegations that the property was used as a torture center.
Separately, the National Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine has opened a criminal case for alleged abuse of power by military officials. Investigators are examining the conditions in which the soldiers were housed, allegations of coercion and the behavior of those involved in the confrontation.
The Office of the Military Ombudsman is also looking into how the service members may have been housed at the property, including questions regarding their medical examinations and fitness for duty. Four soldiers were taken to hospital.
The State Bureau of Investigation warned that conflicting accounts of the incident were circulating, some without sufficient evidence, and said all allegations of possible human rights violations would be investigated.
Ukraine’s General Staff called for an impartial investigation, emphasizing that the state must respond to possible misconduct by military personnel while protecting servicemen from threats and illegal actions.
He also stressed that the return of servicemen who left their units without authorization must be handled in accordance with the law and with respect for human dignity.
The circumstances of the unrest as well as allegations regarding the treatment of the military are still under investigation.
Gn world
