On the evening of November 2, local residents gathered near a private house in the Kyiv district of Petropavlivska Borshchahivka. The gathering was triggered by social media reports claiming that men who had gone AWOL (left their military units without authorization) were being held in the building's basement. Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine Oleksandr Pivnenko later confirmed that NGU servicemen were indeed inside the house. According to him, they were discovered after abandoning their duty stations. The incident caused significant public resonance and led to a public briefing where NGU leadership attempted to clarify the circumstances of the event.
Commander's Explanation: Medical Posts in Units
Answering a question from an RBC-Ukraine correspondent, Pivnenko stated that injured servicemen were kept at the National Guard building in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka because every military unit has its own medical post where servicemen can receive aid. "We have been fighting for five years and we know how to do it (treat — ed.). Our doctors are generally great. If they needed more quality medical care, we would send them to medical hospitals or a medical institution, a medical center of the National Guard," he said. Thus, according to the commander's version, referral to a hospital depends on a person's condition and the complexity of treatment rather than being automatic.
Who Was in the House: Mobilized Troops and Veterans
Military Ombudsperson Olha Reshetilova clarified the composition of the detained servicemen. According to her, they included not only mobilized personnel but also combat-experienced fighters who participated in the battles for Mariupol and Azovstal and survived Russian captivity. This statement broadened the context of the incident: according to the ombudsperson, the issue concerned not only recruits but also servicemen with extensive combat experience, which heightens public interest in how they were treated during their stay at the NGU building.
Investigation and Potential Consequences
Pivnenko stressed that he is personally looking into the matter and stated that the case "will go to the end." The commander added that if a mistake was made in the actions of subordinates, it would be corrected. At the same time, as Novyny.LIVE notes, he did not assert that the decision to keep injured servicemen in the building rather than a hospital was correct; the circumstances of their stay there, he said, remain to be clarified. Earlier, the command of the 1st NGU Corps "Azov" reported the detention of several servicemen after they left their unit without authorization.
Context and Significance
The situation in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka became the basis for public discussion on how medical support and control over servicemen who left their duty stations are organized amid the ongoing conflict. While official conclusions regarding the incident have not yet been released, NGU leadership announced an investigation, and the ombudsperson focused attention on the status of the detainees, including veterans with severe combat experience. The results of the investigation, as stated at the briefing, are to be carried through to the end.
