Instigators will be punished, and conclusions will be drawn within security forces, - Budanov on clashes in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka. VIDEO

Budanov on the conflict in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka

It is now known for certain that yesterday’s events in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka did not occur without outside influence.

This was reported by the Head of the President’s Office, Kyrylo Budanov, according to Censor.NET.

There will be consequences

According to him, the specific individuals and instigators of these events will certainly be identified and punished, just as lessons will be learnt within the security forces. The Prosecutor General’s Office and the relevant authorities have already launched an impartial investigation.

"No one has the right to act arbitrarily. Each of us must remember: the main pillar of Ukraine’s existence right now is our Defence Forces. Let us respect their daily heroism and be responsible in our decisions," Budanov emphasised.

What led up to this?

Earlier, reports were circulating online 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 come and 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.