Ukrainian authorities are investigating clashes that broke out late on Monday between protesters and officials at a military base near Kyiv. Officials said on Tuesday that they believe the incident was staged to discredit Ukraine's war efforts.
A group of about 100 people gathered late on Monday at the National Guard base, where more than 20 new recruits and soldiers returned from unauthorised leave were stationed. Posts on social media alleged that conscripts at the base were being tortured and subjected to violence. Individuals from the gathered group attacked military personnel and police who arrived at the scene.
The commander of the National Guard and the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office visited the location. State investigators and the military prosecutor's office are trying to establish the circumstances under which 22 men were mobilised or detained after deserting their units. Four of the 22 men required medical assistance.
The deputy head of Ukraine's internal security service stated that the Monday incident was staged to free one of the men and provoke public outrage. Investigators have opened a criminal case on charges of mass riots and obstruction of military operations. The head of the Ukrainian national police said this at a press conference, while the Ukrainian interior minister stated at the same conference that allegations of torture at the military facility were false.
Ukrainian media published footage showing a crowd, including masked men with hoods, surrounding a building amid gunfire and shouts of 'Shame!'. It was unclear who was firing. Some protesters shook a National Guard bus and smashed its windows.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Kyrylo Budanov said on Tuesday on Ukrainian television that the main instigator – a woman disguised as an emergency medical worker – had been arrested. Budanov noted that she had previously scouted the location. He said that although the clashes appeared to be a deliberate provocation, they also indicated 'problems' that needed to be resolved. 'Yes, on the one hand there are provocateurs, but on the other hand there is tension in society,' Budanov said.
Military prosecutor Olha Reshetilova said that among those attacked on Monday were seasoned war veterans and former prisoners of war. She wrote on Facebook: 'The question of whether we will succeed in restoring trust between the army and society, which was again undermined by yesterday's events, remains open'.
