There have been many confrontations in Ukraine over the military “recruiting” practices, e.g., seizing men off the street. However, last night took matters to a new level. In a Kiev suburb, around 200 locals confronted the National Guard’s 1st Azov Corps at a secretive private facility, where some 40 new ‘recruits’ were being held in a basement. Tear gas and warning shots were used before the head of the Presidential Office, Kyrylo Budanov, showed up.

In the fog of events, as gleaned from the Kyiv Post, it seems that a relative of one of the men held in the basement, amidst reports of mistreatment and injuries, had called an ambulance to the scene, but that the ambulance personnel were not allowed into the building. Clashes broke out, followed by the tear gas and warning shots.

National Guard commander Oleksandr Pivnenko arrived after the clashes. He confirmed that the servicemen inside included not only new “recruits,” but also personnel who had left their units without authorization. He described the house as a temporary accommodation and processing point for National Guard personnel, where mobilized recruits underwent registration and checks before being sent to a training center.

After the worst of the violence was over, Budanov showed up and said: “I came to find out what the f* is going on here.” He called for the crowd to disperse. Meanwhile, preparations for charging around 100 of the locals with various offenses began. Footage published by Telegram channels showed Budanov speaking to a boy who had been in the basement and who told Budanov that he was 14 years old.

Brig. Gen. Denys Prokopenko, the infamous Azov commander, accused participants in the confrontation of discrediting Ukrainian troops and creating an information picture favorable to Russia. He said their actions deepened divisions between the military and society.