A military court in Russia has sentenced a 20-year-old contract soldier to 15 years in prison for arson related to two acts of terrorism. The soldier was reportedly coerced into committing these acts by individuals posing as bank and government officials.
According to Russian investigative authorities, the incident occurred in May 2025 when the soldier was contacted by scammers who impersonated employees from a bank, the Federal Security Service (FSB), and the Ministry of Defense. They convinced him to transfer 350,000 rubles to a specified account, claiming it was necessary to avoid legal repercussions.
Following this financial transaction, the soldier was informed that he had inadvertently funded the Ukrainian military. The scammers then pressured him to set fire to military equipment to prevent the information from reaching Russian law enforcement.
On May 14, the soldier ignited three armored vehicles at a military facility in the Murmansk region using a flammable mixture. The next day, he set fire to the chassis of a military aircraft at a nearby airbase.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported damages amounting to 2.5 million rubles, although the current condition of the damaged equipment has not been disclosed, it is likely that it was destroyed.
A Russian soldier was sentenced for arson after being manipulated by scammers posing as officials. The case highlights the risks of phone fraud within military ranks.