In Kyiv, in the Petropavlivska Borshchahivka district, clashes broke out between local residents and military personnel on the evening of November 2, 2026. The incident caused widespread resonance: reports began spreading on social media claiming that men who had deserted their military units were being held in the basement of a private house. A crowd of civilians gathered at the scene, resulting in an attack on the military. On the morning of November 3, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) announced the initiation of criminal proceedings, and Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets sent official inquiries to all law enforcement agencies demanding a comprehensive investigation.
Chronology and Circumstances of the Incident
According to available data, on the evening of November 2, a group of local residents gathered near a private house in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka. Information began circulating on social media about the alleged detention in the building's basement of men who, according to online claims, had gone AWOL from their military units. National Guard Commander Oleksandr Pivnenko later confirmed that National Guard servicemen were indeed inside the house. According to him, they were discovered after leaving their military unit without authorization. As a result of the clashes, both military personnel and presumably civilians were injured; vehicle damage, including police cars and a service truck, was recorded at the scene.
Reaction of the Human Rights Ombudsman
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that he had already sent official requests to all law enforcement agencies demanding an investigation into all circumstances of the incident. He emphasized the need to establish the legal grounds for the presence of military and National Guard representatives on the premises, as well as to provide a legal assessment of each participant's actions. "It is necessary to establish what kind of house this is, what tasks the military and National Guard representatives were performing there, and whether legislative requirements were met," Lubinets noted. Separately, the Ombudsman drew attention to the actions of civilians who staged an attack on the military, demanding a legal assessment of their actions and calling such displays "public disrespect for defenders"
SBI Initiates Criminal Proceedings
The State Bureau of Investigation has opened criminal proceedings under Part 5 of Article 426-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — exceeding official authority or official powers by a military official. SBI officers, together with the prosecutor's office, the National Police, and the Office of the Military Ombudsman, are working to establish all the circumstances of the case. Investigators are checking the legality of the military's presence in the building, reports of possible coercion, and the causes of the conflict. The Bureau noted that a significant amount of conflicting information is spreading around the event and urged the public and media to rely solely on official data.
National Guard Position and Call for Restraint
Following the public outcry over the incident, the National Guard initiated an internal investigation. The agency promised to hold those responsible accountable. Ombudsman Lubinets, in turn, emphasized that the only way to stop such clashes is to establish objective facts without prematurely justifying or condemning either side. As of the publication of the article on November 3, 2026, official investigation conclusions have not yet been released; all participants in the events — both military and civilian — remain in the status of individuals whose actions are subject to legal assessment.
