"Zelensky's torture basement": a 14-year-old boy, shootings and serious suspicions

Rumors about 'Zelensky's torture basement' led to violent clashes near Kyiv. The police denied the claims, but four soldiers were injured and a criminal investigation was opened. A video of a 14-year-old boy circulated as proof turned out to be a hoax.

Rumors spread on social networks in Ukraine under the name 'Zelensky's torture basement' led to violent clashes in the village of Petropavlivska Borshchahivka in the Kyiv region. According to the claims, about 40 conscripts were forcibly held in the basement of a private home and abused, and it was even alleged that one of them died. As a result, about a hundred people gathered near the building, including relatives of soldiers, and began throwing stones and damaging vehicles. The Ukrainian police denied the claims and stated that the building was used by the National Guard as a temporary accommodation for soldiers and conscripts, including soldiers who had been absent from service. The commander of the National Guard, Oleksandr Pivnenko, confirmed that 18 soldiers were present, not 40, and that four of them required medical treatment. A viral video of a 14-year-old boy being taken out of the building was presented as proof of torture, but an investigation by Ukrainian journalists revealed that the boy had climbed over the fence during the commotion and was not imprisoned. The State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine opened a criminal investigation on suspicion of abuse of authority by military personnel. The article notes that the commander of the Azov forces claimed the events serve Russia's interests, but no evidence was presented.