On Monday, November 2, reports spread online about an incident in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, Kyiv region, where, according to social media users, armed men allegedly held about forty people in a basement. The National Police of Ukraine called this information fake, and the National Guard reported that there was no information about deaths or injuries. We are figuring out what is known about the incident and how the versions of the participants diverge.
What Was Reported on Social Media
The first reports on social media contained contradictory details: some users claimed that about 40 people were being held in the building's basement, while others claimed that only one person might be inside, presumably a serviceman with AWOL status. According to doctors from a private ambulance service who were reportedly not allowed to enter the house, four of those inside were allegedly in critical condition. Medics and law enforcement officers promptly arrived at the scene, but eyewitnesses reported they were not granted access to the people.
Reaction of the National Guard
The NGU press service explained to Ukrinform that the basis for the response was a report of obstruction of doctors in checking the health status of men who allegedly were inside the house. "Medics and police officers arrived at the scene near a private house where servicemen of one of the units of the National Guard of Ukraine were preliminarily located," the agency noted. They emphasized that at the time of the statement, there was no information about deaths or injuries, and the circumstances of the incident are being clarified.
Position of the National Police
The National Police said that private ambulance medics approached law enforcement officers in the Kyiv region, reporting obstruction in providing assistance to a citizen. Upon arrival, the police established that the incident occurred near a private house where servicemen of one of the National Guard units were located, and local residents had gathered nearby. "Information about the alleged illegal detention of people and the death of a citizen is not true," law enforcement officers stated.
What Is Happening Now
According to publication data, the leadership of the regional police department and the command of the National Guard are working at the scene of the incident. Law enforcement officers are clarifying all the circumstances of what happened. Thus, the public picture of the event remains contradictory: while social media and some media outlets describe a scenario of mass detention and severe conditions, official agencies insist on the absence of dead, injured, and illegal detention.
Context: Other Incidents Involving Law Enforcement
Recall that recently, other incidents involving law enforcement structures have been recorded. In Sheptytskyi, a man attempted to murder a veteran, and at the time of arrest, he shot a police officer with a pneumatic weapon. In addition, in the Odesa region during notification events, an unknown person inflicted a stab wound on a TCJ serviceman and fled. These events against the background of the incident in Borshchahivka emphasize the tense situation around servicemen and law enforcement officers.
