Clashes Near Kyiv Follow Allegations of Abuse at Guard Site

Residents and security personnel clashed November 2 outside a property used by Ukraine’s National Guard in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, near Kyiv, after allegations spread that men inside were being unlawfully detained and abused. Police used tear gas, and a police vehicle was damaged, according to reporters at the scene. The crowd gathered outside the property demanding access. Some people threw rocks and eggs at a police bus, and protesters tried to overturn it, accounts from the scene said. Reports also described shots fired into the air, but the available accounts do not establish who fired them. Some people at the site identified themselves as relatives of men inside and said they had lost contact with them. National Guard commander Oleksandr Pivnenko said the building accommodated guardsmen, including servicemen who had left their units without authorization. The National Guard described some as personnel detained after unauthorized abandonment of their units. Pivnenko confirmed four servicemen were taken to hospital. Their diagnoses and the cause of any medical conditions have not been established publicly. People outside alleged that men were beaten or tortured and...