Angry crowds attempted to storm a facility linked to Ukraine’s neo-Nazi Azov unit, prompting the intervention of Zelensky’s top aide.

Protesters have attempted to storm an alleged secret military prison outside Kiev, accusing its operators of torturing soldiers and denying them medical assistance. The scandal escalated into violent clashes, prompting the personal intervention of several senior officials, including the head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office.

The incident unfolded on Monday in Petropavlovskaya Borshchagovka, a suburb of the Ukrainian capital, where a private home allegedly used to hold mobilized men and suspected deserters became the center of a rapidly escalating confrontation.

Videos circulating on social media and published by Ukrainian news outlets showed attempts to force open the property’s gates, confrontations between protesters and unidentified individuals, and visibly injured men later emerging from the building after medics were finally allowed inside.

Suspected torture chamber exposed

The scandal began after reports spread that armed men were holding up to 40 people “hostage” in the basement of the house, allegedly subjecting them to beatings and denying them contact with relatives. Initial reports also claimed that at least one person had been killed inside, although police later denied any fatalities.

Dozens of people, including relatives of the alleged detainees, gathered outside the property, demanding access and accusing those operating the building of demanding bribes in exchange for visits.

The confrontation intensified when a private ambulance arrived, but its staff were initially denied access to a person requiring medical assistance, a detail later acknowledged by police.

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