Protests erupted in Ukraine after videos of an alleged torture prison were released. There are also rumors about a 14-year-old victim. As a result of the war in Ukraine, more and more young men are being forcibly recruited and drafted.

Shocking videos have been making the rounds in the past week, especially on social media. There is said to be a torture prison run by the fascist Azov Battalion near the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Conscripted men are said to have been housed there and possibly tortured. TheReportsWord spread quickly about the mistreatment of 40 soldiers in a private home.

In response, around 200 people protested in front of the building in the village of Petropavlivska Borshchahivka last Monday. Thevideosshow how they encounter police forces and the National Guard and throw eggs and stones at them. They respond to the demonstrators with tear gas and warning shots.

It is still unclear whether the rumors about the mistreatment are true. The presumed 14-year-old victim can be seen in one of the videos. He is escorted out of the house in shock. The National Guard of Ukraineconfirmedthat soldiers and conscripted men were accommodated in the house. Men liable for military service were supposed to stay at this place until they began their basic military training. According to the Ukrainian military, preliminary medical examinations of the men's health were also carried out on site.

In addition, four men were also held in the house because they were arrested for “unauthorized removal from their unit,” i.e. deserting. They were found injured and taken to the hospital. One is also said to have a broken spine.

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Facts are still unclear

TheoriginThe allegations of torture and ill-treatment are reports from an alleged emergency worker who was on site. Among others, paramedic Valentyna Moloda was denied access to the house. She was unable to provide medical care for the men who were allegedly injured. She talked about it on her Instagram profile.

Moloda identified herself at the gates as an emergency worker and owner of the “Med-Prestige” clinic. According to the Ukrainian investigative media Slidstvo.Info, Moloda is not an emergency worker, but a beautician. The “Med-Prestige” clinic has been closed since 2023 and the ambulance has been sold since 2024. She is also said to have been at the private house three days before the protest. She was arrested on November 3rd and is under investigation.

There are also many contradictory statements about the number of people accommodated. Ukrainian National Guard commander Oleksandr Pivnenko and the head of the presidential office, Kyrylo Budanov, were on site the evening of the protest on November 2nd. Afterwards, Piwnenko spoke of 18 soldiers, Budanow of 14 and the internet said 40 people had been found.

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Are the strings being pulled in Moscow?

So far there is no clear evidence to clarify the situation and who could be behind the action. Budanov does not rule out Russian influence, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha clearly sees Moscow behind the spread of allegations and ex-SBU general Viktor Jagun at least expects Russia to exploit the incident. There is still no evidence to support any assumptions.

Alice Weidel, co-chair of the AfD, shared the recordings via her Xprofilewith the words: “I expect the federal government to address this in Berlin today during Zelensky’s visit.” She was referring to the meeting between Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on November 3rd. The federal government has not yet responded to the allegations.

BSW founder Sahra Wagenknechtrespondedalso responded to the reports and explained: “The federal government shares responsibility for this with its arms deliveries and billions in gifts to Kiev.” According to her, it is now high time to work towards a ceasefire instead of “prolonging this senseless war.”

Violent kidnappings for the military

Despite all the rumors and speculation, one thing is certain: men who were drafted into the army were held in the building. And this is currently happening more and more frequently. After Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022, the Ukrainian military was able to achieve a majorgrowthrecord. From around 200,000 active military personnel in 2019 to 700,000 in 2023. But with the length of the war and the losses, the number is stagnating.

Fewer and fewer young men are volunteering. In addition, soldiers probably died in the war in the six-figure range. Ukraine does not publish official figures.

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TwoLawsof April 2024 were intended to solve this problem: They set the military age from 27 to 25 years, quintupled the punishment for refusing military service and allowed the targeted “Mobilizeby men between the ages of 25 and 60. In reality, this means that young men are grabbed by recruiters on the street and packed into “buses”.

The word “bussification” has become established for this. More and more videos show how men try to escape and are violently dragged onto the buses. In other cases, they manage to escape the army through the solidarity support of the neighborhood. At the same timefleemore and more young men are going to neighboring countries to avoid being forcibly recruited by the dreaded draft authorities.

Ukrainians want an end to the war

The media is currently reporting on oneWar wearinesswithin Ukraine. Surveys show how the social mood within Ukraine is changing. 75 percent of Ukrainians now want negotiations with Russia to end the war.

In addition, only about half believe in a “victory” in the war with Russia. In Ukraine, a majority of people are now against President Zelensky. According to the current situation, he would run for presidentSurveyslose.

In another winter of war, the supply situation in Ukraine is currently more dramatic than ever before. Hundreds of thousands are sufferingfailuresof electricity, water and heat supply. Negotiations to end the war are scheduled to take place again in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday. But a breakthrough this time remains questionable given the hardened fronts.

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