On the evening of November 2, in the Kyiv suburb of Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, a group of local residents gathered near a private house after reports spread on social media that men who had voluntarily left their military units were allegedly being held in the building's basement. Footage from the scene captures a nighttime scene with a dense cloud of smoke and the presence of emergency vehicles. The incident quickly escalated beyond a local event and provoked an official reaction from several Ukrainian agencies, including the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), and the office of the Head of the SBU.
What the National Guard confirmed
National Guard Commander Oleksandr Pivnenko confirmed that National Guard servicemen were indeed inside the house, having been discovered after leaving their place of service without authorization. An internal investigation has been ordered within the National Guard to clarify all circumstances of the incident; following its results, the department assured, those responsible will be held accountable. Thus, the version that individuals evading military service were hiding in the house received official confirmation, although the details of their stay and the actions of those surrounding them remain the subject of investigation.
General Staff position: uniform does not cancel the right to protection
In a statement by the General Staff of the Armed Forces, transmitted to RBC-Ukraine, it was emphasized that a military uniform "in no way deprives a person of dignity, safety, and protection from threats and violence." The agency called respect for a serviceman "not a reward for perfection, but the norm of a society waging a war for its own existence." The General Staff supported an impartial investigation and insists that conclusions must be based on facts, not emotions or public pressure. At the same time, the statement explicitly points out: the right to demand compliance with the law "gives no one the right to lynch law or threaten the military."
Investigation and Ombudsman's position
The State Bureau of Investigation has opened a criminal proceeding over the incident. Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets demanded an investigation into the event and condemned any attacks on servicemen in the rear. The General Staff separately warned against spreading information about the locations of the military, citing Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, as such data poses a direct threat to life. The agency also noted that evading military duty and unauthorized abandonment of a unit entail responsibility, but the state must equally and fundamentally protect the military from unlawful actions.
Version of external influence and detention
SBU Head Kyrylo Budanov stated that the event in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka "did not happen without external influence" and promised to bring the initiators of the incident to justice. According to him, a woman who was the first to arrive at the house in an ambulance was later detained; it was established that she was conducting preliminary reconnaissance of the facility. The General Staff, in turn, pointed out that Russia is trying to use internal conflicts to undermine trust in the Defense Forces of Ukraine and urged citizens to refrain from spreading unverified accusations.
