A woman identified as Valentyna Moloda, who sparked a confrontation at a military gathering point near Kyiv, was involved in protests linked to Russian interference.
Ukrainian news outlet NV reported that Moloda, wearing a medical uniform, called police to a private house in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka on 2 November. The building was housing National Guard of Ukraine servicemen, and her intervention quickly drew local residents to the site.
Borys Breus, head of the preventive activity department of the Kyiv Oblast police, said Moloda was the first to claim that people were being illegally held inside and urgently needed medical care. Her claims triggered a tense standoff outside the house as scuffles broke out.
Confrontation outside military facility
Petropavlivska Borshchahivka is a suburban community located directly west of Kyiv, bordering the capital's ring road. Tensions flared outside the residence as unverified claims spread across social media alleging that mobilised men were being illegally detained and tortured inside.
Police rejected those allegations, confirming that no individuals were being held unlawfully and denying rumours that a person had died. Four servicemen who required medical treatment were transported to a hospital, according to Oleksandr Pivnenko, commander of the National Guard.
The National Guard operates under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, handling public order and territorial defence. Both Pivnenko and Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, travelled directly to Petropavlivska Borshchahivka following the clashes.
Speaking on 3 November, Budanov said the clashes were unacceptable for the state and harmed Ukrainian unity before the Russian threat. He said law enforcement agencies were investigating all details to hold the responsible parties accountable and prevent similar incidents.
Investigation into the plastic surgery worker
Questions quickly emerged regarding Moloda's arrival at the military collection point on 2 November in an emergency medical service vehicle linked to a private clinic that shut down in 2023.
According to investigative outlet Slidstvo.Info, Moloda works at a plastic and aesthetic surgery clinic rather than in emergency care. Her medical attire and out-of-service car helped create the false impression of an active medical crisis, police said.
According to NV and Slidstvo.Info, Moloda previously helped organise public campaigns with suspected Russian links. She took part in an attempt to mount protests on 3 October at Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the central Kyiv square known for historic public demonstrations.
An investigation by human rights outlet Zmina and independent fact-checkers examined the campaign surrounding the planned 3 October gathering. They concluded that the initiative showed clear indications of Russian interference designed to destabilise domestic public opinion.
Demands and Russian media amplification
Organisers of that protest urged the public to demand an immediate end to the war, the conclusion of peace treaties, and early presidential elections. They also demanded a nationwide referendum on whether Ukraine should join NATO and the European Union.
Ukraine has remained under nationwide martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with regular elections suspended. Those appeals for street demonstrations were quickly amplified across Russian media channels.
Calls to assemble on the Maidan were distributed primarily through a Telegram channel run by Oleksandr Todorov, who presented himself as an active serviceman from the 41st Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.
The appeals were republished by the pro-Russian publication Strana, alongside Russian state and pro-government outlets including Life.ru, News.ru, and Gazeta.ru, which gave prominent coverage to Todorov's calls for unrest.
The video address on Telegram
Despite the digital campaign, the planned rally on 3 October failed to attract demonstrators, and the square remained empty. Two days later, on 5 October, Moloda recorded a video statement that Todorov published on his Telegram channel.
In the recording, Moloda accused Ukrainians of refusing to join the rally because they were not paid to attend. She asked who had prevented them from attending, who had ignored them, or who had claimed they would be detained, adding that she was not arrested, remained alive, and intended to return.
By the time of the confrontation near Kyiv, all posts on Todorov's Telegram channel had been deleted. However, Moloda's video remained online, preserved and shared by an alternative channel openly hostile to the Ukrainian military.
Detention of the protest organiser
Todorov did not attend the 3 October demonstration he had promoted across social media. According to Artem Dmytruk, a fugitive Ukrainian member of parliament, officers from the Security Service of Ukraine arrested Todorov on 21 September.
A court in Kharkiv ordered Todorov held in custody with bail set at 167,000 Ukrainian hryvnias. The SBU serves as the country's primary domestic security and counter-espionage agency.
Russian state agencies TASS and RIA Novosti reported on the detention, while Odesa outlet Bloknot said prosecutors accused Todorov of unauthorised absence from his unit. His supporters raised the funds and posted the 167,000 hryvnia bail on 8 October.
Ukrainian authorities continue to examine how the network connected to Todorov and Moloda coordinated the confrontation outside the National Guard facility, seeking to prevent further provocations.
