Military personnel who went through Mariupol and captivity: the ombudswoman revealed who was in the building in Borshchahivka during the clashes
Kyiv • UNN
Olha Reshetylova said that Mariupol veterans and those who had endured captivity were there.
At the site near which an angry crowd had gathered the previous day, November 2, there were not only mobilized personnel but also service members who had fought in the battles for Mariupol and Azovstal, endured Russian captivity, and returned to service. Military Ombudswoman Olha Reshetylova reported this on social media on November 3, according to UNN.
Details
"At the deployment site of the military unit that an enraged crowd attacked yesterday, there were, besides mobilized personnel, service members who had fought for Mariupol and Azovstal, endured Russian captivity, and returned to the ranks. To defend their state, the civilian population, and Ukrainian children. The population repaid them with spitting, eggs, broken windows, and foul-mouthed teenagers," the ombudswoman said.
She also added that the investigation should establish whether there had been violations concerning service members who had returned after unauthorized absence from their unit, new recruits, as well as the procedures and stages of their service.
"Whether there were violations concerning service members who returned after unauthorized absence from their unit and new recruits, and concerning the procedures and stages of their service, will be established as part of the investigation. Whether we will be able to restore trust between the military and society, which was once again undermined by yesterday's events, remains an open question. Obviously, each person needs to make an effort to do so. Not everyone wants to do that," the official noted.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Military Ombudsman stated: "Representatives of the Office of the Military Ombudsman worked yesterday at the temporary deployment site of a unit of the National Guard of Ukraine in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, as well as at the hospital to which four service members had been taken.
The investigation should establish the circumstances under which the new recruits who were awaiting basic general military training and the service members returning after unauthorized absence from their unit ended up at the deployment site. Particular attention will be paid to the circumstances surrounding the military medical commission, the substantiation of conclusions regarding fitness for military service in view of their health condition, as well as the circumstances of the unauthorized abandonment of the military unit and the procedure for returning to military service.
At the same time, we emphasize that the use of force against service members and an attack on a military facility are unacceptable; the events in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka require a firm response from law enforcement agencies within their remit.
The persons whose unlawful actions are established must be held accountable for them in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law".
What happened
The State Bureau of Investigation launched criminal proceedings over the events that occurred on November 2, 2026, in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, Kyiv region. The proceedings were opened under Part 5 of Article 426-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (exceeding authority or official powers by a military official).
According to the State Bureau of Investigation, "the events unfolded near a private house used to temporarily accommodate service members of the National Guard of Ukraine who had returned after unauthorized absence from their military unit (UA)".
After reports allegedly claiming that service members were being unlawfully detained spread on social media, citizens gathered near the house. The conflict escalated into clashes, during which gunshots were heard and official police vehicles were damaged, the State Bureau of Investigation said.
In Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, young men who were dispersing the crowd by force attacked a UNN photographer.
The National Guard of Ukraine will no longer use the building in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, Kyiv region, around which a scandal arose. The people who had previously been staying on the premises have already left it, an NGU spokesperson reported.