"Medic’s" claims about broken spine were false and incited people – Tsutskiridze

Police allege "medic" planned action to discredit military

The woman who was first to arrive at the scene of the conflict in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka may have planned the action to discredit the military. According to him, law enforcement officers are carrying out searches, detentions, and other investigative activities.

Acting National Police Chief Maksym Tsutskiridze reported this, according to a Censor.NET correspondent.

What is known?

According to him, the "medic" who was first to arrive at the scene discredited the political leadership and the military. She was there at the request of a female relative of a person who had gone absent without leave. Preliminary information suggests she had also scouted out the location, sending a driver there.

"The person who had gone absent without leave sent some photographs. And she (the ‘medic’) carefully planned this action to discredit the military," Tsutskiridze said.

One of the people who addressed National Guard of Ukraine Commander Pivnenko using profanity had previously come to the attention of law enforcement.

"There were Security Service of Ukraine proceedings involving this person. Investigative activities, searches, and detentions are now underway. The process is ongoing," he added.

Law enforcement agencies had received no notifications about the announced rally. No reports of crimes had been filed either.

Police have identified 16 radical individuals, whose actions are currently being assessed.

"Claims about a ‘broken spine’ and so on are all being checked now, but none of this was true. These claims incited people, and this developed into an aggressive rally," the acting National Police chief stressed.

Meanwhile, police could not enter the facility because it was a military site. Entry requires a court warrant. It was established that 26 people were inside.

Four people said they wanted medical assistance.

Protesters caused harm to the police. However, law enforcement officers refrained from using force to prevent bloodshed.

Police prevented a confrontation, although they could have used force within the law.

Background

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 had 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.