Ukraine Warupdated 26m ago2 min read
MapKyrylo Budanov Must Pay Fine for Speaking Russian During Petropavlivska Borshchahivka Clash
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Budanov admitted violating Ukraine's state language law during the Petropavlivska Borshchahivka clash. He will pay a statutory fine, announced by language commissioner Olena Ivanovska.
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Fine for speaking Russian
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian Presidential Administration, will pay a statutory fine after Olena Ivanovska, the commissioner for the protection of the state language, said he spoke Russian in an official capacity during protests outside a provisional military jail near Kyiv.
Olena Ivanovska wrote that the accused admitted the violation and would pay the penalty on time, and she said the Ukrainian Language Law requires officials to use Ukrainian in official duties.
Ivanovska confirmed that state oversight procedures were formally initiated after public reports that Budanov used the Russian language while addressing civilians and law enforcement at the scene on Nov. 2.
Budanov acknowledged violating Ukraine’s state language legislation during a confrontation outside a National Guard facility in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka and will pay a statutory fine.
The fine can range from Hr. 3,400-6,800 ($75-150) for the language breach.
Clashes in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka
Clashes broke out on the evening of Monday, Nov. 2, in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, a village on the western periphery of Kyiv, after a crowd assembled outside a property following unverified claims circulating on social media.
The crowd’s allegations claimed armed personnel were unlawfully confining and torturing roughly 40 mobilized recruits in a basement, and the situation escalated into physical clashes between protesters and security personnel.
Tear gas was discharged, gunshots were fired, and police vehicles sustained structural damage during the confrontation near the National Guard facility.
Regional authorities confirmed 16 National Guard service members operating outside the building sustained injuries during the disturbances.
Senior officials including National Guard Commander Oleksandr Pivnenko, Military Ombudswoman Olha Reshetylova, and Budanov arrived at the location to de-escalate the standoff and order civilians to disperse.
Investigations and legal fallout
Kyiv’s Solomianskyi District Court ordered Valentyna Moloda remanded in custody without bail after investigators established that rumors were initially spread by Moloda. The Security Service of Ukraine opened criminal proceedings regarding obstruction of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the unauthorized disclosure of military deployment locations, identifying approximately 100 individuals who actively participated in the disturbance. The State Bureau of Investigation opened a criminal probe into suspected abuse of authority by military officials under Part 5 of Article 426-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine to assess conditions at the accommodation site.
Olena Ivanovska told the public that the incident was being resolved through law and accountability, saying, "The incident is being resolved as it should be in a civilized country – through law and accountability," and she urged people not to escalate the language issue into harassment. Olena Ivanovska also said, "The fact of the violation has been recognized without attempts to find excuses or trigger defensive reactions," as state oversight continued in accordance with established procedures.