General Staff Responds To Events In Petropavlivska Borshchahivka

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) The General Staff said this in a Facebook post, Ukrinform reports.

"In connection with the events of November 2 in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, Kyiv region, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces considers it necessary to emphasize several fundamental points," the statement reads.

The General Staff noted that service members deserve respect, protection, and fair treatment from the state and society. Wearing a military uniform in no way deprives a person of the right to dignity, safety, and protection from threats, humiliation, and violence. Respect for service members is not a reward for being flawless. It is a norm in a society fighting for its own survival.

The circumstances of the events in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka are being established by the authorized state bodies. The State Bureau of Investigation has launched criminal proceedings, while the National Guard and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have ordered internal investigations. The Office of the Military Ombudsman and the Security Service of Ukraine have also joined the inquiry.

The General Staff said it supports an objective and impartial investigation.

"Conclusions about whether violations occurred and who is responsible must be based on established facts, not emotions, assumptions, or public pressure," the statement reads.

The General Staff said that citizens have an unconditional right to demand compliance with the law, but this does not give anyone the right to take the law into their own hands, threaten service members, obstruct their lawful activities, or endanger their safety.

"Ukraine continues to wage a difficult war. Hundreds of thousands of service members carry out missions to defend the country every day, often under extreme physical and psychological strain. They have the right to expect not only high standards from society but also responsibility, support, and respect," the General Staff said.

The General Staff said that military service requires discipline, legality, and accountability, and that the processes of joining the military and returning service members after unauthorized absence from their units must be conducted in accordance with the law and with respect for human dignity. At the same time, evasion of military duty and unauthorized absence from a military unit carry penalties prescribed by law.

"We particularly emphasize that publishing information about the locations of military personnel that could help the enemy determine their positions poses a real threat to people's lives and safety. Disseminating information covered by Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine may entail criminal liability," the General Staff said.

Russia is trying to exploit internal conflicts to undermine trust in Ukraine's Defense Forces. The General Staff urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified allegations, avoid replacing the work of law enforcement agencies with public verdicts, and not turn individual incidents into an opportunity to discredit service members as a whole.

"The Ukrainian military is part of Ukrainian society, not its opposite. People in uniform defend the same country, the same families, and the same rights enjoyed by all Ukrainian citizens," the General Staff added.

Compliance with the law is mandatory for everyone. The state must be equally firm both in responding to possible violations by service members and in protecting military personnel from unlawful actions, threats, and unfounded accusations, the General Staff said.

As reported, law enforcement officers are investigating the circumstances of an incident in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka near Kyiv, where around 40 people were allegedly being held illegally in the basement of a private house.

Representatives of the National Guard and the National Police were working at the scene, where, according to preliminary information, service members from a National Guard unit had been present. An ambulance was called for those who needed medical assistance. Reports that anyone involved in the incident had been killed were false, the National Guard said.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov said that measures were being developed to ensure an appropriate response to the events in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka and prevent provocations.

He also stressed that those behind the incident would be identified and punished.

Representatives of the Office of the Military Ombudsman worked at the temporary deployment site of the National Guard unit in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, as well as at the hospital where four service members had been taken.

The investigation is expected to establish the circumstances under which new recruits awaiting basic general military training and service members returning after unauthorized absence from their units ended up at the deployment site. Particular attention will be paid to the circumstances surrounding their military medical examinations, the validity of fitness-for-service assessments in light of their health conditions, as well as the circumstances of their unauthorized absence and the procedure for returning to military service.

The Office of the Military Ombudsman stressed that the use of force against service members and attacks on military facilities are unacceptable, and that the events in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka require a firm response from law enforcement agencies within their respective mandates.

The State Bureau of Investigation has launched criminal proceedings over the events that took place in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka on November 2.

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 available information, the events unfolded near a private house used to temporarily accommodate National Guard service members who had returned after unauthorized absence from their units.

After reports alleging the unlawful detention of military personnel near the house circulated on social media, members of the public gathered outside. The confrontation escalated into clashes, during which shots were fired and police service vehicles were damaged, the bureau said.

Read also: MoD: Thousands of service members return from AWOL under simplified procedure

SBI investigators immediately went to the scene. They worked alongside representatives of the prosecutor's office, the National Police, and the Office of the Military Ombudsman, with the full cooperation of the National Guard.

As part of the criminal proceedings, investigators will examine the legality of the actions of all those involved. In particular, they will establish the circumstances and conditions under which the service members were staying in the house, investigate reports of possible coercion against them, and determine the causes and course of the confrontation, the SBI said.

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