Two months in custody without bail: Valentyn Moloda detained after clashes near Kyiv

On November 4, the Solomianskyi District Court of Kyiv ordered Valentyna Moloda held in pretrial detention for two months, without bail. She is a suspect in a case involving clashes that took place on November 2 outside a house in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, in the Kyiv region. A correspondent for Suspilne reported the court’s decision from the courtroom.

The same court ordered another suspect, Tetiana Kirieieva, held for two months. Investigators believe she conspired with Moloda and the ambulance driver to obstruct the work of a military unit.

At the center of the case is the arrival of 49-year-old Valentyna Moloda outside a house on Soniachna Street. She was the first to arrive in an ambulance, wearing medical scrubs, and claimed that men who had been mobilized were allegedly being held in the basement.

The man accompanying her as a driver described himself on social media as a member of a “special forces unit.” However, according to a court ruling, since 2022 he has been classified as having gone absent without leave — AWOL. Back in September, both of them actively shared calls to attend a rally for peace with Russia at Independence Square on October 3.

At the hearing, prosecutor Maryna Hrushevska presented the prosecution’s account of the preparations for the events near the military facility:

“The pretrial investigation established that, no later than October 30, 2026, Tetiana Ihorivna Kirieieva conspired with Valentyna Volodymyrivna Moloda to jointly commit a criminal offense aimed at obstructing the lawful activities of a military unit by blocking its operations, as well as assisting military personnel in abandoning their place of service without authorization,” prosecutor Maryna Hrushevska said.

According to her, that same day Kirieieva created a group on Telegram and sent the unit’s location there. The next day, another person involved in the case, Viktor Yena, went to that address and filmed the facility.

On the morning of November 2, the prosecution alleges, Moloda and Yena arrived at the house in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka. The woman, pretending to be an ambulance worker, recorded a video about the military personnel inside and claimed she was being denied access to the premises. The prosecutor said Moloda urged people to come to the address.

“At the same time, Yena Viktor Valeriiovych, who also assisted in committing the crime, filmed the scene and directly drove the vehicle. The video recordings established that Moloda engaged in provocative actions aimed at escalating the conflict and provoking a confrontation with the people there, as well as spreading information about the circumstances of the military personnel’s presence,” Maryna Hrushevska said.

Moloda hosted morning livestreams on TikTok, where she uses the name “investigative journalist.” She urged people to go to Soniachna Street and spoke of alleged torture while there was still no one on the street. Journalists also found that the woman does not own a private ambulance service, despite presenting herself as its owner.

Meanwhile, social media posts claimed that around 40 people were being held inside the house. Local residents and relatives of military personnel gathered outside the building. Clashes broke out between them and people on the property, and some of those present tried to get inside.

A 14-year-old boy ended up on the property during the confrontation. According to preliminary information, he either climbed over or fell over the fence.

At the scene, a woman who introduced herself as Valentyna and the owner of the private clinic Med-Prestige told a Suspilne correspondent that a man who had undergone surgery in early September had been held in the building for more than 37 days. She also claimed there were wounded people inside and that their relatives had called the ambulance.

People gathered outside the house also reported that one of the wounded men had died. Police denied reports that a man had been killed and that people were being held unlawfully. Law enforcement officials said they received a call from private ambulance workers who were allegedly being prevented from reaching a person.

National Guard Commander Oleksandr Pivnenko said that four service members needed medical attention and were hospitalized. The Azov First Corps of the National Guard clarified that they had injuries and were sent for examination. According to Pivnenko, these service members were classified as AWOL, while the other men in the house were also members of the National Guard.

The Azov Corps confirmed that the building served as a temporary deployment site for Military Unit 3121. It promised that those responsible would be punished if an investigation confirmed unlawful violence.

Interior Minister Ivan Vyhovskyi ordered an internal investigation. The State Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Military Ombudsman also joined the inquiry.

Presidential Office Head Kyrylo Budanov, who arrived at the scene, said the people involved in the incident were preventing the hospitalization of those in need of medical attention. According to him, 14 people were inside. He noted that there were many such buildings and stressed the need to establish why they were operating, what was happening inside, and what circumstances were leading to AWOL cases.

On November 3, the story-format videos on Moloda’s page disappeared. That same day, Budanov told TSN that the woman had been detained following the events outside the house.

According to the Presidential Office head, at least three days before the clashes, the woman and the driver had already reconnoitered the building. He cited photographs found on her phone and correspondence with administrators of certain Telegram channels.

Overall, the Security Service of Ukraine identified around 100 people involved in the clashes. Three criminal proceedings were opened in connection with the events.

Prosecutor Hrushevska said Moloda was formally notified of the charges on November 3. She is accused of:

• obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations;
• disseminating information about the location of military personnel;
• organizing mass riots.

Investigators also allege that the suspect offered people “emergency evacuation” from Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCCs) and military units in an ambulance. According to the prosecution, she charged 107,000 hryvnias for the service.

The hearing was interrupted because of an air-raid alert. During the break, the suspect commented on the situation:

“You see, they want to add a day so I’ll tell the whole truth. That’s the situation,” Valentyna Moloda said.

Asked by a journalist where she got her medical uniform, she replied:

“I have a Prime Clinic that provides emergency medical assistance and is registered in my name. I am the chief physician of this hospital. I can perform any duties if they concern people’s lives and health,” Valentyna Moloda said.

After the hearing resumed, the suspect said a woman named Tetiana had contacted her. She did not give the woman’s last name. According to Moloda, the woman said her husband was in an unknown building where people were allegedly being tortured. He had supposedly undergone surgery and had a stoma — a surgically created opening in the front abdominal wall or neck that connects an internal organ to the outside environment.

The suspect explained that she had asked Kirieieva about the building and asked her driver, nicknamed Valerich, to go and inspect it. She claimed there were no signs that it was a military facility.

“I didn’t know it was a military facility. I found out when the general arrived,” Valentyna Moloda said.

She stood by her claim that people were being tortured inside the premises. However, in response to a judge’s question, she denied gathering people or inciting the crowd.

The prosecutor cited another piece of evidence — the suspect’s correspondence with Tetiana Kirieieva:

“The first message in this correspondence is the number of the military unit. There were two phone calls on Telegram, followed by the first message. All the information about the service member the suspect is talking about was sent to this contact, and then all the details were discussed,” Maryna Hrushevska said.

Moloda also claimed that she had helped four wounded men who were being held in the house. Among them, she said, was a man with a spinal fracture and a man with a stoma. She assured the court that she had documents confirming their condition.

The defense asked the court to impose a preventive measure other than detention. They pointed out that the suspect has an 11-year-old daughter who cannot attend school when her mother is absent.

After the decision was announced, Valentyna Moloda told journalists that she would appeal it to the court of appeal.

Previously, we reported:

• Boy says he was beaten with shovels at an Azov building near Kyiv — Interior Ministry denies the claim
• SBI investigates possible abuse of authority after clashes near Kyiv
• Assault and gunfire: protest outside a suspected TCC “prison” near Kyiv
• “Evacuation,” Ukrainian style: people were promised help avoiding service for $15,000
• Assault, tear gas and beatings: TCC in Vinnytsia forcibly held men — people took to the streets in protest