VIDEO – “They hit me with shovels”: after the Azov house scandal near Kyiv, a 14-year-old boy denounces torture

A 14-year-old Ukrainian teenager gave a damning testimony about the violence he claims to have suffered in a house occupied by an Azov unit, a formation of the Ukrainian National Guard, near Kyiv. In a video shared on social media, the boy recounts being hit with shovels, fists, and boots by about ten masked men before being taken upstairs and interrogated. He says he received blows so violent to the head that he could no longer see or hear. His testimony adds new elements to the scandal of the injured men found in this house, which broke out on Monday.

The alleged events date back to Monday, November 2, in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, a suburb of Kyiv. That day, residents and relatives of soldiers gathered in front of a private property used by a unit attached to the 1st corps of the Ukrainian National Guard “Azov.” Accusations of illegal detention and violence against soldiers were circulating on social media.

The teenager explains that he lives about 200 meters from the house. Warned by friends about the events taking place there, he decided to go to the site. He recounts climbing over a fence, being sprayed with a fire extinguisher, then returning after retrieving a gas mask from his home. According to him, several men then came out of the building with shovels and began throwing bricks at him. The boy claims he was hit and fell to the other side of the fence, into the property occupied by Azov.

It was at this moment, he claims, that several men dressed in black and wearing balaclavas grabbed him and dragged him inside the house. He describes about ten individuals in military attire, without insignia allowing identification. “They hit me with shovels, feet, and fists”, he says, explaining that the blows multiplied as he was taken further into the building.

Dragged upstairs, hit on the head and interrogated

The boy claims he was then taken to the second floor, where his alleged attackers laid him face down, face against the floor. The violence allegedly continued during an interrogation. He recounts receiving several particularly violent blows to the head, to the point of temporarily losing his sight and hearing.

According to his testimony, the men then grabbed him by the hair and threw him against a wall. When he fell into a position they did not like, they allegedly hit his head against the floor again. “I could no longer see or hear anything”, the teenager explains, saying he was unable to understand what was happening around him.

The individuals also allegedly used knives to cut his clothes, including his underwear, while filming what was happening. The boy describes a state of deep shock and says he no longer has precise memories of how he was eventually taken out of the house.

A woman reportedly intervened to stop the violence

The teenager recounts that at one point, unusual commotion occurred in the building. His alleged attackers then began wiping his blood and tending to him. A woman then entered the room and intervened to prevent further blows.

The boy claims this woman protected him with her body and reassured him by promising that no one would hurt him anymore. Shortly after, Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian presidential office and former military intelligence chief, arrived at the property to try to resolve the situation.

Footage released Monday evening showed the Ukrainian official speaking with the teenager, wrapped in a survival blanket. Budanov also contacted his sister so she could come pick him up. The boy explains he was so disoriented that he did not recognize the people present and feared undergoing another interrogation.

In his video, he says he is now at the regional hospital in Kyiv. He mentions cuts on his fingers, rib pain, and difficulty walking. He also denies accusations that he was paid to participate in the gathering in front of the property.

The National Guard denies the blows, justice opens an investigation

The commander of the Ukrainian National Guard, Oleksandr Pivnenko, disputed the accusations of violence against his men. According to his version, the teenager fell while climbing a tree. Soldiers then recovered him to protect him from projectiles thrown during clashes, before wrapping him in a blanket and assisting him.

This version directly contradicts the boy’s testimony, who claims to have been hit, dragged into the building, and interrogated.

However, the case goes beyond the teenager. The Azov command acknowledged that the house served as a temporary stationing point for military unit 3121, notably for soldiers who left their assignment without authorization. Four injured soldiers who were in the building were transferred to a medical facility.

On Tuesday, the Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation announced the opening of a criminal procedure for possible abuses of power committed by military officials. The investigations must notably determine the conditions in which the men were housed, verify the accusations of violence, and establish responsibilities in the clashes.

The Azov command assures that any responsible for illegal violence will be sanctioned if the facts are confirmed. The National Guard also announced internal checks, while the controversies around military mobilization and forced enlistments multiply in the country.