Ukrainian authorities have apprehended six individuals, aged 17 to 23, suspected of carrying out arson attacks across various regions of the country. The arrests were made by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), which reported that the suspects were recruited by Russian operatives through online platforms.
According to the SBU, the agents were local residents who were lured into collaboration under the guise of romantic relationships or easy earnings advertised on social media and Telegram channels. In one notable incident in Kropyvnytskyi, an FSB agent was detained shortly after setting fire to a district council building and a local branch of a state bank.
The SBU indicated that the suspect was enticed to cooperate by a fictitious online persona created by Russian intelligence. In Kyiv, four additional individuals were arrested for attempting to destroy several service vehicles using flammable substances.
The suspects operated in pairs and received instructions from various Russian handlers. Among them were two brothers who set fire to vehicles belonging to a mobile fire group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a State Emergency Service employee. Other accomplices targeted military vehicles in the Desnyanskyi district of the capital.
In Zaporizhzhia, a local handball player was also implicated, having allegedly set fire to several service pickup trucks belonging to defense forces on behalf of the FSB. These vehicles were undergoing repairs at a local service station after missions on the southern front.
The SBU has formally charged the detained individuals under two articles of the Ukrainian Criminal Code: Article 114-1, which pertains to obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces and other military formations during a special period, and Article 194, concerning intentional destruction or damage to property. If convicted, the suspects face potential sentences of up to ten years in prison.
Ukrainian authorities have arrested six young individuals accused of arson linked to Russian intelligence operations. The suspects face serious charges, including obstructing military activities and property destruction.