Detainment claims and ambulance rumors
Protesters and National Guard troops engaged in a tense standoff in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka on Nov. 2 after reports circulated regarding the unlawful detention of service members. The 1st Corps of the National Guard Azov stated that "unverified information" circulated on Nov. 2 claiming service members at a "temporary deployment site" had been unlawfully detained and tortured. The National Guard detained some newly mobilized service members and others who had departed their military units without authorization while they awaited unit assignments. Four service members received injuries and went to a hospital for examination. The National Guard denied that any deaths occurred, and the national police stated that reports of deaths or unlawful detentions were false. Borys Breus, head of preventive activities at the National Police, told journalists that the rumors of service members being held unlawfully were initially spread by a woman who introduced herself as the owner of a private ambulance company called Med-Prestige. Slidstvo.Info reported that Med-Prestige shut down in 2023 and the ambulance at the scene had been sold by the company’s owner in 2024. This woman, who claimed to operate the company, is a 49-year-old worker at a plastic surgery clinic. Police officers arrived at the scene after receiving a call from a private ambulance crew reporting they were prevented from reaching a man inside the building.
Protesters block medical transport
Protesters threw eggs at police and National Guard troops and broke a brick wall to enter the building. Authorities used tear gas and fired shots into the air to control the crowd. A bus arrived at the scene to transport approximately 12 individuals being held in the residence, but protesters allegedly attempted to stop the vehicle and cut its tires. Telegram channels claimed that armed men held around 40 people hostage in the basement and alleged that one person had been killed. President Office Head Kyrylo Budanov arrived at the site around 10 p.m. and stated that 14 service members remained in the building. "I came here to figure out what the hell is going on," Budanov told UNIAN News. Budanov also told Channel 24 News that efforts to transport injured service members faced hindrance because protesters blocked the way. The standoff was a chaotic mess. National Guard reinforcements arrived at the scene after journalists from the Kyiv Independent reported the violence. Olha Reshetylova, Ukraine’s military ombudsman, said the office works with the National Guard to clarify the circumstances and confirm all military personnel are safe. Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi said the facility allowed family members to communicate with the detained and invited medical personnel and public representatives to the site.
