Civil unrest near Kyiv exposes deeper social tensions but 'outside influence' played a role, Budanov says
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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 with National Guard soldiers present on Nov. 2.
Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov said on Nov. 3 that the incident was "not without outside influence."
"Those responsible for and involved in these events will be identified and punished. The relevant law enforcement agencies will also be held accountable," Budanov said, adding that the Prosecutor General's Office and other agencies had launched investigations.
Law enforcement officers had detained one of the suspects, a woman who claimed to be a doctor, Budanov told TSN later in the day on Nov. 3.
Budanov said the incident should not be viewed solely as the result of a provocation, adding that it had revealed broader social tensions and unresolved problems.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has identified about 100 people who actively participated in the riots, and a search is ongoing in some of their homes, Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported, citing the law enforcement agency's deputy head, Ivan Rudnytskyi.
The SBU believes that the riots' goal was to kidnap one of the National Guard servicemen, Rudnytskyi said during a briefing, as cited by Ukrinform. He said that the SBU opened criminal proceedings under Article 114-1, which concerns obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces, and Article 114-2, which concerns the unauthorized disclosure of the Armed Forces' locations or movements.
The General Staff said on Nov. 3 that the relevant state authorities were investigating the circumstances of the incident.
"Citizens have an unquestionable right to demand that the law be upheld. However, this does not give anyone the right to take the law into their own hands, threaten service members, obstruct their lawful activities, or put their safety at risk," the General Staff said.
In an official statement, the 1st Corps of the National Guard "Azov" said "unverified information" circulated on Nov. 2 claiming that service members at a "temporary deployment site" had been unlawfully detained and tortured.
Some service members in the building were newly mobilized, while others were being detained after unauthorized departure from their military unit, and were awaiting assignments to units, according to the 1st Corps of the National Guard. Four of the service members had received injuries and were sent to a hospital for examination.
"The National Guard Command, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, has taken control of the investigation into the situation," the 1st Corps of the National Guard said. "If any illegal acts of violence are proven to have occurred on the territory of the military base, those responsible will face appropriate punishment."
Ukraine's National Guard also said details about their injuries or medical conditions would be provided later and reiterated that no deaths had occurred.
The national police said it was present at the scene, and said reports that people were being unlawfully detained or that someone had died were false.
According to the statement, officers were dispatched to the scene after receiving a call from a private ambulance crew reporting they had been prevented from reaching a man inside the building.
Borys Breus, head of preventive activities at the National Police, told journalists that the rumors of service members being held unlawfully were initially spread by a woman who introduced herself as the owner of a private ambulance company called "Med-Prestige."
However, Ukrainian news outlet Slidstvo.Info reported that Med-Prestige had shut down in 2023. The ambulance at the scene of the protests is reported to have been sold off by Med-Prestige's real owner in 2024.
According to Slidstvo.Info, the woman who claimed to operate Med-Prestige was identified as a 49-year-old worker of a plastic surgery clinic, Valentyna Moloda.
Budanov told TSN on Nov. 3 that law enforcement officers had detained Moloda. He added that the woman and her driver had allegedly conducted surveillance of the site at least three days before the incident.
During the investigation, law enforcement officers found evidence on the woman's phone suggesting the incident had been planned in advance, Budanov said.
"Her phone contains correspondence with certain Telegram channels that began widely distributing this information," Budanov said.
"I don't know exactly what the motive was — whether it was personal reasons, an attempt to boost her own profile, or to make some money. But the question will be who is paying for these services and why. Or perhaps the motive was something else entirely — something aimed against the interests of the state."
Upon arrival, police officers found soldiers from a National Guard unit near a house, along with local residents gathered outside.
According to Kyiv Independent reporters at the scene, a large group gathered outside the residential building to protest the alleged unlawful detention of a few dozen men, appearing to be recently mobilized, by the National Guard troops.
Protesters proceeded to throw eggs at police and National Guard troops and broke through a brick wall in an attempt to access the building. Authorities responded with tear gas and shooting in the air. National Guard reinforcements later arrived at the scene, Kyiv Independent journalists report.
A bus arrived at the scene and attempted to transport around a dozen individuals being held in the residence. It is unknown if the bus left the area as protesters allegedly attempted to stop the bus and cut the tires of the vehicle.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show a tense standoff, with people demanding access to the building and alleging that inside people were being detained and injured.
Several Telegram channels claimed that armed men were holding around 40 people hostage in the basement of the building. Unverified reports also alleged that one person had been killed.
At around 10 p.m. local time, Budanov arrived at the scene.
"I came here to figure out what the hell is going on," Budanov told Unian. Budanov claimed that 14 service members were in the building and that efforts to transport injured service members had been hampered by the blockade of protesters.
"This is something that simply shouldn't be happening, and it’s not right," Budanov told Channel 24 News.
According to Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi, family members of the detained service members were given the opportunity to communicate and medical personnel as well as public representatives were invited to the site.
Olha Reshetylova, Ukraine's military ombudsman, said that a search was being conducted at the site and the circumstances at the scene will be clarified.
"The military ombudsman office is working at the scene of events on Petropavlivska Borshchahivka together with the command of the National Guard of Ukraine," Reshetylova said. "All military personnel are safe, medical assistance is being provided."
Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on Nov. 3 that he had asked law enforcement agencies to investigate all aspects of the incident, determine the legal basis for the presence of military personnel and National Guard members in the building, and assess the actions of everyone involved.
Lubinets also condemned any attacks on military personnel, National Guard members, and National Police officers.
The circumstances remain unclear as authorities continue to investigate. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims circulating on social media.
