Budanov will pay a fine for speaking Russian during clashes in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka

The head of the Presidential Office (OP) Kyrylo Budanov will pay a fine for speaking Russian during clashes in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka in the Kyiv region.

This was reported by the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language Olena Ivanovska.

According to her, Budanov admitted violating the language law "without trying to find excuses or turn on defensive reactions" and agreed to pay the fine within the specified period.

According to the law, for using the Russian language while performing official duties, an official faces a fine of UAH 3 400 to UAH 6 800. For a repeated violation within a year, up to UAH 11 900. Ivanovska did not specify the exact amount Budanov must pay.

She urged not to turn the situation into an excuse for harassment on social media and emphasized that the law should work, not divide society.

"The rule of law differs from chaos in that mistakes are recorded, acknowledged, and corrected through legal means, not through lynching on social media. Each of us can make mistakes in stressful, everyday, or extreme circumstances, but the maturity of society is measured by the ability to admit it and take responsibility," the commissioner wrote.

What happened in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka

On the afternoon of November 2, clashes broke out near a private house in the village of Petropavlivska Borshchahivka. Prior to this, statements were spread on social networks that people were allegedly being illegally detained and tortured inside.

The National Guard later explained that the building was a temporary deployment point for the 14th Assault Regiment of the National Guard, which is part of the 1st Corps "Azov". It housed mobilized soldiers who were being prepared for deployment to training centers, as well as soldiers who had voluntarily left the unit and were waiting for further deployment.

In the evening, the situation escalated again: shots rang out near the house, people threw stones at windows, lit smoke bombs and firecrackers, and tried to overturn the bus. The National Guard Commander Oleksandr Pivnenko and the Presidentʼs Office head Kyrylo Budanov were at the scene.

The next day, law enforcement officers opened three criminal cases regarding the clashes.

In total, 130 possible participants were identified. Four of them have already been taken into custody, including Valentyna Moloda, who was the first to arrive at the scene and introduced herself as the owner of the private clinic “Med-Prestige”. However, as it turned out later, this clinic ceased operations in 2023.

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