Butusov: Soldiers from 2nd ’Khartiia’ Corps were not involved in events in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka

No member of the 2nd Corps of the National Guard, ‘Khartiia’, was involved in the disturbances in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, in the Kyiv region, which took place on 2 November.

This was stated by Yurii Butusov, commander of the UAV company of the 23rd Assault Regiment, part of the 2nd Corps of the National Guard "Khartiia", according to Censor.NET.

‘Khartiia’ not involved

According to Butusov, the Russian publication "Strana" spread disinformation claiming that the building allegedly housed an "unofficial prison" belonging to the National Guard’s "Khartiia" unit.

He noted that in the video, all the people have their faces clearly visible and are holding documents, and therefore no servicemen from the ‘Khartiia’ Corps were involved in these events.

He said that this "smear campaign" once again points to "Strana’s direct links with the Russian security services and the waging of an information war against Ukraine".

Full responsibility lies with the commanders

Butusov believes that the commanders of these servicemen must bear full responsibility, and the circumstances should be made public as quickly as possible.

In his view, it is up to the heads of law enforcement agencies – under the scrutiny of MPs and Ukrainian journalists – to determine what was in the house, whether the servicemen’s rights were violated, and exactly who was responsible.

"The appearance at the scene of National Guard Commander O. Pivnenko and Head of the President’s Office K. Budanov, who were not involved in this situation, can only serve to heighten the public outcry rather than resolve the situation," he noted.

Two "overarching problems"

According to Butusov, scandals of this kind are the result of two overarching problems that the authorities are shying away from.

Firstly, in Ukraine there is no systematic state approach to mobilisation, trust in the service, or commanders’ responsibility for a person’s fate from the moment of enlistment, "from the very first step at the TCR". Secondly, there is no effective military justice system: military courts, military police and military investigations, which exist in all NATO countries.

"Until the state begins genuine reforms in the areas of mobilisation and military justice, such scandals will continue, and Russian special services and their agents will continue to exploit them," he added.

What led up to this?

Earlier, reports circulated online claiming that on 2 November in the village of Petropavlivska Borshchahivka near Kyiv, armed men were allegedly holding around 40 hostages in the basement of one of the houses, some of whom were in a serious condition, and were preventing medics from reaching them.
According to the Kyiv Regional Police, they were contacted by staff from a private ambulance service who were prevented from reaching one person.
The police stated that reports claiming people were being unlawfully detained in the village of Petropavlivska Borshchahivka and that one of them had died were untrue.
The Commander of the National Guard, Oleksandr Pivnenko, confirmed that National Guard servicemen were in the house after leaving their unit without authorisation, and that four of them required medical attention and were taken to hospital.
Pivnenko also explained that the private house was being used as a temporary accommodation centre for National Guard personnel. Mobilised personnel arrived there, underwent registration and checks, after which they were sent to a training centre.
When asked about a man with a broken spine, National Guard press officer Ruslan Muzychuk replied that this was not true: all four walked to the ambulance under their own steam.
The Office of the Military Ombudsman was present at the scene in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka alongside the command of the National Guard of Ukraine. An investigation has been ordered.
The National Guard will launch an internal investigation into this incident.
Tensions remained high well into the night. People threw stones at the building’s windows, set off smoke bombs and firecrackers, damaged the building’s brick wall, smashed the bus and attempted to overturn it.
The Head of the President’s Office, Kyrylo Budanov, arrived at the scene in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka in the Kyiv region.
Footage circulated on social media showing a teenage boy being led out of the building, wrapped in a thermal blanket. Budanov spoke to him personally — the boy said he was 14 years old and had come to the scene with his friends. The Head of the Presidential Office rang the boy’s sister to ask her to collect him.
However, at around 10.30 pm, a group of people arrived at the scene and began pushing those present aside. A mass brawl broke out, and the sound of gunshots was heard, according to media reports. There were casualties amongst those present, and Budanov urged them to contact the police.