Law enforcement detains 2 female suspects linked to clashes near Kyiv, media reports
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Two female suspects who the authorities believe helped organize the Nov. 2 clashes in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, a village on the outskirts of Kyiv, have been detained without bail, Ukrainian media reported on Nov. 4.
The arrest follows a confrontation between civilians and the National Guard on Nov. 2 that escalated to involved protesters attacking a military facility and the National Guard using tear gas and firing into the air. The clash followed unverified reports that mobilized men were being unlawfully detained in the facility.
One of the two suspects is Valentyna Moloda, who posed as a paramedic and was the first to arrive at the scene of the incident. The court ordered her to be held in custody for two months, public broadcaster Suspilne reported.
Prosecutor Maryna Hrushevska told Suspilne that Moloda is accused of obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces and of spreading information about the location of the military without authorization.
These accusations fall under the criminal proceedings that law enforcement earlier reported having opened under Articles 114-1 and 114-2 of Ukraine's criminal code.
The other detained female suspect was named as Tetiana Kiriieva, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Nov. 4. The prosecutor's office said that she used social media to spread false information about alleged illegal detention, torture, and murder of people on the territory of a military unit, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
The pretrial investigation suggests that Kiriieva reached an agreement with Moloda to "jointly commit a criminal offense," Suspilne reported, citing Hrushevska.
On Nov. 2, a confrontation broke out between civilians and the National Guard at a house in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka.
The National Guard used the house, surrounded by a brick wall, as a transit point to hold mobilized men between the time when they are taken in by draft officers and undergo their medical examination, and the time when they are taken to basic training. False information spread online alleged that the men inside the building were tortured, as reports of a dead man inside also circulated.
Outside, a crowd had gathered, yelling at the police and National Guard manning the entrances. The group was mostly made up of younger men, alongside a few women and teenagers, all demanding that the remaining men held inside be let out.
At the epicenter of the clash were two workers of a supposed private ambulance, seemingly attempting to negotiate with the National Guard to enter the building, while also addressing the crowd. Moloda was one of the two workers.
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 firing in the air. National Guard reinforcements later arrived at the scene, Kyiv Independent journalists reported.
As more details emerged about the series of events and the key people involved in triggering the violence, suspicion has since grown that the clash was a product, at least in part, of a planned provocation and information operation working in Russia's interest.
Presidential Office Head Kyrylo Budanov said on Nov. 3 that the incident was "not without outside influence."
By Nov. 3, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had identified about 100 people who actively participated in the riots, the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported, citing the law enforcement agency's deputy head, Ivan Rudnytskyi.
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.
