On 2 November, a conflict broke out in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, in the Kyiv region, near a private house where members of the Ukrainian National Guard were staying. Local residents and relatives of the servicemen alleged that people were being unlawfully detained, that medical staff were being prevented from gaining access, and that violence may have taken place. A crowd gathered outside the building and attempted to force the gate open. The police and National Guard command arrived at the scene, and law enforcement officials denied reports of dozens of hostages and a fatality.
- In Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, a conflict broke out near a house involving National Guard servicemen.
- Medical staff contacted the police because they were being prevented from gaining access to one of the patients.
- Eyewitnesses reported that 40 people may have been held captive, as well as instances of torture and extortion.
- The police and the National Guard have denied reports of people being unlawfully detained and of a citizen’s death.
- The circumstances of the conflict are being investigated by the Kyiv Region Police leadership and the National Guard command.
How did the conflict in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka begin?
The first reports of the incident began to circulate on social media on the afternoon of 2 November. The authors of the posts claimed that there were allegedly around 40 people in the basement of a private house, being held captive by armed men.
According to eyewitnesses, a private ambulance was called to the building, but the paramedics were not allowed inside. Some reports mentioned four people in a serious condition, as well as the possible death of one of the men.
One of the women who was outside the building claimed that her boyfriend had previously left his military unit without permission, after which he found himself inside the building. She also alleged that money had been demanded in exchange for his release.
There is no independent confirmation of these circumstances. Law enforcement agencies subsequently officially denied the reports that unlawful detention of people and the death of a citizen.
At the same time, the police have confirmed that there was a dispute over access to the building.
People were trying to break down the gate: as seen in the video
Video footage published by local Telegram channels and the publication «Novyny.LIVE» shows a group of people near the fenced-off grounds of a private house.
Those present demanded that the gates be opened, that they be granted access to the people inside, and that medical staff be allowed to check on the condition of the man who, according to reports, needed assistance.
In one of the videos, men can be seen kicking the gates and trying to open them using whatever they have to hand. Other people involved in the altercation are demanding that the masked men show their faces.
Footage has also been circulated showing a man with visible traces of blood on his head climbing over a fence. The circumstances surrounding his injuries have not been officially established.
In response to attempts to gain access to the premises from the direction of the building, foam was sprayed. Some eyewitnesses also reported the use of tear gas, although this information has not been independently confirmed.
In other footage, the woman, who was initially presented as a healthcare worker, drops to her knees in front of the police and asks to be allowed into the building. Subsequently, information emerged on social media that she was not a member of the ambulance crew. Her role in the events has not been officially clarified.
According to the Kyiv Regional Police
Following the circulation of the video footage, the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Kyiv Region issued a statement on the situation.
Law enforcement officers confirmed that they had received a call from staff at a private ambulance service. The paramedics reported that they were being prevented from gaining access to the man.
Police officers arrived at the scene and established that the incident was taking place near a private house where members of one of the Ukrainian National Guard’s units were staying.
By that time, local residents had already gathered near the building.
The police emphasised that the reports of people being unlawfully detained and of a citizen’s death are untrue.
Deputy Chief of Police for the Kyiv Region Araik Kochkadamyan, whilst speaking to journalists at the scene, said that the building has the status of a military facility.
The regional police leadership and the National Guard command have become involved in resolving the conflict.
Were there really 40 soldiers being held in the house?
The report of 40 hostages became one of the main reasons for the spread of information about the incident.
However, TSN’s sources within the law enforcement agencies have refuted these reports. According to their preliminary information, the case concerned a single man who may have left his military unit without authorisation.
At the same time, his military-legal status, the grounds for his presence in the building and the circumstances surrounding any possible restriction on his freedom of movement have not been officially disclosed.
During one of the live broadcasts from the scene, a police spokesperson stated that the man was to be taken out of the building and handed over to the paramedics. Those present were also promised the opportunity to verify that there were no other people allegedly being held inside.
At the time the official comments were released, there were no confirmed results of such an examination or any information regarding the man’s whereabouts.
What the National Guard said
The press office of the National Guard of Ukraine confirmed to Ukrinform that servicemen from one of its units were present on the premises of a private house.
Representatives of the National Guard of Ukraine have reported that law enforcement agencies, in conjunction with the military command, are investigating all the circumstances of the conflict.
The National Guard also stated that no reports had been received of any fatalities or injuries resulting from the incidents.
At the same time, the publicly available official statements do not specify which unit was using the building, the purpose of the military personnel’s presence there, or whether an investigation was carried out into the complaints of possible violence.
Law enforcement agencies have not released any specific, verified information regarding extortion, unlawful detention or torture.
As of the evening of 2 November, the police reported that they had established the circumstances of the incident involving the National Guard command. There was no information in the publicly available official statements regarding the opening of criminal proceedings specifically in relation to allegations of unlawful detention.
