Soldiers found in hidden facility near Kyiv after abuse reports

A chaotic scene unfolded in the village of Petropavlivska Borshchahivka near Kyiv after reports that soldiers were being held inside a military compound sparked a mass protest. Dozens of people gathered outside the building, attempted to break through its gates, and demanded to know what was happening inside.

The incident began when a private ambulance crew reported that its medics were not being allowed into the compound to treat someone inside. Rumours spread quickly that soldiers were being held there against their will, with some reports claiming as many as 40 soldiers had been kept in the facility for weeks.

Video from the scene showed protesters kicking at the gates and demanding that medical personnel be allowed in. According to reports, tear gas was fired at them from inside the compound. As the situation developed, a more complex picture began to emerge.

A medic who managed to enter the building together with a law enforcement officer said she saw at least 25 people, from the attic to the basement. Four of them were evacuated for medical treatment.

The commander of the Ukrainian National Guard, Oleksandr Pivnenko, arrived at the scene and confirmed that soldiers who had been absent from their units without permission were staying in the compound. According to him, four soldiers required medical treatment, while the others were National Guard personnel. When asked about bruises visible on some of the men's bodies, a confrontation broke out between him and those present.

The military prosecutor's office, however, presented a far narrower version: it said only one soldier had been absent from his unit and was transferred to the compound for a month in an attempt to return him to service. The prosecutor's office claimed that his family had called a private ambulance to help him evade service, and added that an initial examination found no signs of injury on his body.

But even the official version leaves questions unanswered: Why was the soldier held in the compound for a month? Why did medical teams arrive at the scene and initially not be allowed in? And what explains the reports of dozens of people and four soldiers evacuated for medical treatment?

The police and National Guard deny that anyone was held hostage or tortured at the site. However, the authorities announced that the circumstances of the soldiers' detention and the conditions of their stay are being investigated. In the meantime, the incident that began behind closed gates has become a public affair raising questions about what goes on inside Ukraine's military discipline facilities.