The key facts

  • Mikhail Sheremet told TASS that the 'torture house' near Kyiv proves the justification of the SMO
  • Ukrainian authorities officially called the building in Petropavlivska Borschahivka a 'military facility'
  • Valentina Molodaya was charged with disclosing the location of a military facility; the court arrested her without the right to bail

The parliamentarian's statement

State Duma deputy from the Republic of Crimea Mikhail Sheremet, in an interview with TASS, called the secret prison in the basement of a private house in a village near Kyiv 'one of many' in Ukraine and said that this situation 'once again proves the justification' for Russia's special military operation. According to him, Russia is conducting the SMO to 'eradicate the revived neo-Nazism,' while the current Ukrainian authorities, who, in his assertion, created 'an entire network of secret prisons,' are showing themselves to be 'cruel executioners headed by President Vladimir Zelensky.' This was reported by Gazeta.Ru. These statements reflect the position of the Russian parliamentarian and are not independently confirmed facts.

What is known about the scandal

The scandal erupted on November 2, when Ukrainian media and social networks began spreading information about a 'closed military facility' in the village of Petropavlivska Borschahivka in the Kyiv region, where forcibly mobilized Ukrainians and deserters from the Armed Forces of Ukraine were allegedly being held and tortured. Ukrainian authorities officially called the discovered building a 'military facility,' SHOT reported — details are given in the Gazeta.Ru article.

Arrests and charges

Medic Valentina Molodaya, who spoke on social media about the 'torture house' near Kyiv, which sparked protests, was charged with disclosing the location of a military facility, obstructing the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and organizing unrest. The court ordered her arrested without the right to bail. In addition, earlier in Ukraine, a man was arrestedwho was the first to arrive at the secret prison.

Information limitations

The publications do not contain independent verification of the claims about torture and the holding of people in the building: information about the 'torture house' was initially spread through Ukrainian media and social networks, Kyiv's official position amounts to recognizing the facility as military, and Sheremet's statement is a political assessment from the Russian side. What exactly happened in the building and who was there has not yet been confirmed, according to the available publications.