Kyiv suburb clash as alleged plot to abduct National Guard serviceman sparks investigation

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has identified roughly 100 individuals involved in disturbances near a National Guard facility outside Kyiv. Authorities suspect the unrest was orchestrated with the intent to abduct a serviceman who had previously left his unit without permission.

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Deputy SBU chief Ivan Rudnytskyi reported on Tuesday that searches are underway at several residences linked to the suspects, and that investigators are evaluating possible detentions and criminal charges. At least one woman has already been taken into custody.

The incident erupted on Monday, 2 November, in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, a Kyiv suburb. Approximately 100 people assembled outside a private house after social‑media posts alleged that dozens of men were being held against their will in the basement, according to Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne.

Some posts described the building as a “house of horror”, alleging that servicemen were being tortured inside.

It later emerged that the property was being used to accommodate National Guard personnel, including soldiers who had returned after leaving their units without authorisation.

The confrontation escalated into clashes with law‑enforcement officers. Shots were fired and police vehicles were damaged, the State Bureau of Investigation said.

Senior officials, including National Guard commander Oleksandr Pivnenko and Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov, arrived at the scene Monday evening. Budanov said on Tuesday that the events “were already reliably known not to have occurred without influence”.

He vowed that the individuals and instigators would be identified and punished, and that the Prosecutor General’s Office and relevant authorities had launched an investigation.

Questions surrounding the ambulance

A woman who arrived in an ambulance and presented herself as a medical professional was among those disseminating the allegations.

An investigation by Ukrainian outlet Slidstvo.Info revealed that the Med‑Prestige clinic she claimed to represent had ceased operations in 2023. Its owner told the outlet that the ambulance used at the scene had been sold in 2024, with buyers required to remove the clinic’s branding.

According to the SBU deputy chief, investigators believe the unrest was deliberately organised to seize a National Guard serviceman who had previously left his unit without authorisation and was subsequently detained.

The SBU has opened criminal proceedings for obstruction of the lawful activities of the armed forces and unauthorised disclosure of information about military locations.

A separate probe into mass unrest, initially handled by the National Police, has also been incorporated into the case.

Separate investigation into possible military misconduct

Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi rejected claims that the property was used as a torture facility.

The State Bureau of Investigation has launched a criminal inquiry into possible abuse of authority by military officials. Investigators are examining the accommodation conditions of the servicemen, allegations of coercion, and the conduct of those involved in the confrontation.

The Office of the Military Ombudsman is also reviewing how the servicemen came to be housed at the property, including questions about their medical examinations and fitness for duty. Four soldiers were hospitalised.

The Bureau warned that conflicting accounts of the incident were circulating, some lacking sufficient evidence, and pledged to examine all allegations of possible human‑rights violations.

Ukraine’s General Staff called for an impartial investigation, stressing the need to address potential misconduct by military personnel while protecting service members from threats and unlawful actions.

It also emphasised that the return of personnel who have left their units without authorisation must be handled in accordance with the law and with respect for human dignity.

Both the circumstances of the unrest and the allegations concerning the treatment of servicemen remain under investigation.

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