03.11.2026 09:32
Footage from a military building near Ukraine's capital Kyiv has sparked a major debate in the country. After footage of a person with a bruised and swollen face asking for help, about 100 people gathered in front of the building. A medical officer who entered said there were 25 to 30 people in the building, while four people in serious condition were taken to hospital. Some families argue that their relatives were subjected to ill-treatment, while Ukraine's National Guard rejected allegations of unlawful detention.
Allegations that people in a building near Ukraine's capital Kyiv were subjected to ill-treatment have sparked debate in the country. After footage emerged of a person with bruises on his face, about 100 people gathered in front of the building. A medical worker who entered said there were 25 to 30 people in the building, while 4 people with health problems were taken to hospital. Ukraine's National Guard announced that the people in the building were soldiers. An official investigation into the incident has been launched.
HE ASKED FOR HELP WITH A BRUISED FACE
The incident occurred on November 2 in the settlement of Petropavlivska Borshchahivka near Kyiv. After reports that people in a building on Sonyachna Street were being held forcibly and subjected to ill-treatment, police and medical teams were dispatched to the area.
In footage sent from inside the building, bruises and swelling on a person's face drew attention. The person, who said he was experiencing severe stomach pain, fever, chills and dizziness, appeared exhausted. How the injuries of the person in the footage occurred has not yet been established.
ABOUT 100 PEOPLE GATHERED IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING
According to reports in the Ukrainian press, about 100 people gathered in front of the building. The crowd, which included relatives of those inside, demanded permission to enter the building and that people with health problems be treated.
It was stated that the private ambulance staff called to the scene were initially not allowed to enter the building. Police teams were then dispatched to the area, and tension arose between the crowd and the officials in the building. Some people tried to force the doors and get inside.
DOCTOR ENTERED, 4 PEOPLE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL
After police intervention, a medical worker was allowed to enter the building. The medical worker, who carried out an inspection inside, said there were approximately 25 to 30 people in the building, including the basement.
The medical worker said it was not clear to them either what status those inside had, and stated that 4 people needed to be taken to hospital. Following negotiations, 4 people with health problems were taken to hospital by ambulances.
However, no detailed information was shared about the health conditions of the other people in the building or the causes of the injuries in the footage.
FAMILIES ALLEGE TORTURE AND MONEY DEMAND
Some people waiting in front of the building said they were relatives of those inside and made allegations of ill-treatment. A woman named Tetyana, speaking to Suspilne, said her husband had been in the building for 37 days and that she could not communicate with him.
The woman, who argued that her husband was unfit for military service due to health problems, said she was asked for 100,000 hryvnias to be able to meet him and deliver medical aid. However, no document or record confirming the money demand was presented.
Other people in front of the building also stated that their relatives had lost contact with them after being recruited. Some families argued that the people in the building were beaten and did not receive adequate medical care.
NATIONAL GUARD COMMANDER CAME TO THE SCENE
As the tension grew, Commander of the Ukrainian National Guard Oleksandr Pivnenko arrived at the scene.
Pivnenko explained that the people in the building were soldiers belonging to the Ukrainian National Guard. He stated that the 4 soldiers taken to hospital were among personnel who had been detained and brought back after leaving their units without permission.
During the commander's statements, questions were directed from the crowd about the cause of the bruises and injuries on the soldiers' faces. Pivnenko reported that allegations of ill-treatment would be investigated and the results of the investigation would be shared with the public.
POLICE DENIED ALLEGATIONS OF TORTURE AND UNLAWFUL DETENTION
Kyiv Region Police announced that the building was a deployment point of a unit belonging to the National Guard. The authorities denied reports that the people inside were unlawfully detained and that a death had occurred in the building.
Police reported that the injuries of one of the people with bruises on his face resulted from a traffic accident. However, investigations into the causes of the other injuries are ongoing.
STATEMENT CAME FROM AZOV
After the incident, the Azov 1st Corps within the Ukrainian National Guard also made a statement.
The statement said that the building where the allegations came to the agenda was a temporary deployment point of military unit No. 3121 within Azov.
It was confirmed that 4 soldiers who were brought back after leaving their units without permission were referred to hospital due to their injuries, and it was stated that if it is determined that unlawful violence was used against the soldiers, those responsible will be punished.
OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED
The Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs ordered an administrative investigation into the incident. Within the scope of the investigation, the accommodation conditions of the soldiers in the building, their access to healthcare, and the allegations of ill-treatment will be investigated.
Ukrainian Military Ombudsman Olga Reshetylova also announced that they were working at the scene together with the National Guard command. Reshetylova stated that the soldiers in the building were safe, that the necessary medical assistance was provided, and that the incident would be investigated in all its aspects.
National Guard Spokesman Ruslan Muzychuk, meanwhile, reported that the soldiers' relatives were allowed to see the conditions in the building and that the soldiers would be transferred to another location for security reasons.