There was tension in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, one of the suburbs of Ukraine's capital Kiev, over allegations that soldiers were illegally detained and ill-treated in a building used by the National Guard.
Approximately 100 people, some of whom stated that they were relatives of the soldiers held in the building, gathered in front of the building on Monday evening, November 2. In the incidents where demonstrators tried to enter the building by force, windows were broken and surrounding fences were damaged. It was reported that some people used smoke bombs.
In the images spread on social media, injured soldiers were seen being taken out of the building.
After the events started, claims spread on social media that armed people were holding approximately 40 people hostage in the basement of a building.
It was also claimed that the health condition of some people was critical and medical teams were not allowed to enter the building.
However, these allegations were not confirmed by official authorities.
Kiev regional police announced that the news that people were illegally detained in the building and that one person died did not reflect the truth.
HEAD OF THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE GOES TO THE SCENE
Following the allegations, Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office Kirilo Budanov went to the region where the events took place on Monday evening, November 2.
Budanov announced that there were 14 soldiers in the building.
Ukrinform's correspondent at the scene reported that the people in the building started to be taken out after Budanov reached the area.
Budanov also met with the demonstrators gathered in front of the building and received information about the events.
However, the crowd continued their demands for the soldiers' release.
A 14-YEAR-OLD CHILD WAS FOUND AT THE SCENE
According to Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, Budanov also met with a 14-year-old boy who was at the scene.
The boy said he came to the area "with his friends."
It was stated that Budanov enabled the child to contact his sister and made the necessary arrangements for his family to pick him up from the area.
On the other hand, Hromadske correspondent reported that tension continued after Budanov arrived at the scene.
It was reported that unidentified people used smoke bombs, broke the windows of the building and damaged the surrounding fences.
RESPONSE FROM NATIONAL GUARDS TO TORTURE ALLEGATIONS
The Ukrainian National Guard denied accusations that soldiers were tortured in the building.
In the statement, it was stated that the building in question was used to temporarily shelter newly mobilized soldiers and military personnel who were detained on the grounds that they left their units without permission.
National Guard Commander Oleksandr Pivnenko said the building was a temporary assembly and dispatch point for military personnel.
Pivnenko stated that the soldiers should be urgently transferred from the region to another place due to the possible attack threat from Russia.
The National Guard also confirmed that 4 soldiers were injured in the incidents. It was announced that the wounded soldiers were taken to the hospital for a health check.
ALLEGED THAT THE AMBULANCE TEAM WAS OBSTACLED
Allegations that medical teams were prevented from reaching a person in the building during the incident were also brought to the agenda.
Kiev regional police announced that employees of a private ambulance service approached them, stating that they were not allowed to approach a person.
However, upon investigation by journalists, it was determined that the ambulance in question was registered to a private clinic that has not been operating since 2023.
No detailed explanation was given regarding the circumstances of the ambulance's presence at the scene and why the medical teams were prevented.
The Military Ombudsman of Ukraine launched an investigation to investigate all aspects of the events.
Within the scope of the investigation, it is expected to investigate the conditions under which the soldiers were kept in the building, how the injuries occurred and the accuracy of the allegations of ill-treatment.
While the National Guard denied the accusations of torture, the police did not accept the allegations of illegal detention.
