Clashes erupt outside Ukrainian National Guard facility near Kyiv amid abuse allegations (UPDATED)

The incident took place in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, a village on the outskirts of Kyiv, where the National Guard rents a private building to temporarily accommodate military personnel.

According to hromadske reporters at the scene, protesters demanded that those inside be released, attempted to force their way into the building, threw stones and firecrackers, and damaged police vehicles.

Senior military officials, the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office and representatives of the military ombudsman's office arrived at the scene as tensions escalated.

UPDATE: Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) opened a criminal investigation on November 3 into possible abuse of authority by military officials in connection with the incident.

Investigators said they would examine the conditions in which servicemen were housed, allegations of coercion and the circumstances of the clashes. No suspects have been publicly identified.

The DBR also confirmed that shots were fired during the unrest, although it did not specify who fired them.

How did the confrontation begin?

The unrest followed claims circulating on Telegram and TikTok that approximately 40 people were being held in the building's basement and subjected to abuse.

A woman presenting herself as a medical professional alleged that some of those inside had suffered severe injuries, including a broken spine.

Police said they were initially called by representatives of a private ambulance service who reported being prevented from reaching a person inside the building.

Officers subsequently established that the property was being used by a National Guard unit. Police denied reports that people were being illegally detained or that anyone had died at the facility.

Questions have also emerged about the ambulance service involved.

Ukrainian investigative outlet Slidstvo.Info reported that the company whose name was associated with the ambulance had ceased operating in 2023, while its owner said he had sold the vehicle in 2024.

Journalists identified the woman making the allegations as Valentyna Moloda, the owner of a plastic and aesthetic surgery clinic. She rejected questions about her professional credentials and said her clinic's doctors were properly licensed.

The circumstances surrounding the ambulance's arrival and the allegations made by its representatives remain unclear.

Who was inside the building?

National Guard commander Oleksandr Pivnenko said the property served as a temporary accommodation facility for newly mobilized personnel undergoing administrative processing before being sent to training centers.

The National Guard's 1st Azov Corps confirmed that the building was used by one of its units, military unit 3121.

The facility also housed servicemen who had been detained after leaving their units without authorization and were awaiting reassignment.

Pivnenko confirmed that four such servicemen had injuries requiring medical attention and had been transferred to a National Guard medical facility for examination.

National Guard spokesperson Ruslan Muzychuk disputed claims that one of the men had a broken spine, saying all four had been able to walk to the ambulance unaided.

The cause of their injuries has not been established.

Military ombudsman Olha Reshetylova said her office was working at the scene alongside National Guard commanders and that an investigation had been ordered.

The 1st Azov Corps said anyone found responsible for unlawful violence against servicemen would face punishment.

What happened during the clashes?

By the evening, approximately 100 people had gathered outside the building.

National Guard commanders allowed several civilians, including the mother of a mobilized serviceman, to enter and speak with personnel inside.

The woman later told the crowd that the people she had seen were safe, although she described their living conditions as terrible. Reporters said there were up to 20 people inside.

Despite assurances from military officials, the crowd continued demanding the release of those housed at the facility.

Protesters smashed windows, damaged a wall and attacked police vehicles. They also attempted to overturn a bus reportedly carrying mobilized men.

At around 10:30 p.m., hromadske reporters witnessed another group of people arrive and push through those gathered outside. A mass brawl followed, with sounds resembling gunshots heard at the scene.

Several people were injured during the confrontation. The identities of the newly arrived group and the circumstances of the violence remain unclear.

A 14-year-old boy was also seen being escorted from the area wrapped in a thermal blanket. Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov, who arrived at the scene, spoke with the teenager, who said he had come with friends. Budanov contacted his sister to arrange for him to be picked up.

There is no confirmed evidence that the boy had been detained inside the military facility.

How have Ukrainian officials responded?

Azov commander Denys Prokopenko condemned the unrest, describing it as a provocation that benefited Russia by discrediting Ukrainian servicemen.

Budanov called the events unacceptable and harmful to Ukrainian unity in the face of Russia's ongoing war.

In a statement on November 3, he said authorities were working with security agencies on measures to prevent further provocations and establish responsibility for the violence.

Neither official publicly presented evidence establishing that the unrest had been orchestrated.

Meanwhile, the military ombudsman's office is examining the circumstances surrounding the treatment of servicemen at the facility.

The allegations of torture remain unverified, as do the circumstances in which the four injured servicemen sustained their injuries.