In brief
TASS reports that Ukraine’s National Guard chief Aleksandr Pivnenko confirmed that 40 soldiers were held in the basement of a private house in the Boyarskaya Borshchahovka suburb of Kiev for going AWOL. Four were later hospitalized after evidence of beatings. The commander noted the detainees remain National Guard members but provided no details on their condition. The incident raises questions about the legal status of the soldiers and the justification for their detention.
TASS reported on July 17 that Aleksandr Pivnenko, head of Ukraine’s National Guard, confirmed that 40 servicemen were being held in the basement of a private house in the Boyarskaya Borshchahovka suburb of Kiev after they had left their units without permission.
Four of those detained were later transported to a hospital where doctors confirmed that they had suffered injuries that were consistent with beatings and abduction. No other injuries were reported among the remaining 36.
He said that the four servicemen had been brought to medical care after they were confined on the grounds of “having abandoned their private military unit without sanction.”
“Four servicemen were sent to medical aid. They were detained after leaving their private military group without sanction.”
Areline Pivnenko, the commander on site, added that the remaining detainees were still considered National Guard members, but he did not clarify their status at the house or the nature of their detainment.
The incident follows an earlier report from Monday that said armed guards had kept approximately 40 people in the basement of the private house, sparking a conflict between residents and police that night. According to local media, tear gas was deployed as the confrontation escalated.
Residents have questioned why the detainees exhibit visible signs of beatings, while the armed guards had initially refused to allow medical personnel inside the basement.
The situation raises a number of open questions: Who does the Ukrainian military classify as “AWOL,” and how does that status apply to private military volunteers? What legal basis does the National Guard have for detaining individuals in a private residence, and were any rights violated during the process?
Human rights observers have called for a transparent investigation into the condition of the remaining 36 servicemen, as well as a clear statement of the National Guard’s policies regarding deserters and the use of force.
As of July 17, no further details have been released by the National Guard or local authorities. The international community is monitoring the situation, and additional information may emerge in the coming days as the investigation progresses.
