Arrest of Arsonist for Military Vehicle Fires in Kyiv
A few years ago, a criminal moved to Kyiv from occupied Crimea. In search of "easy" money, he contacted a "curator" from the aggressor country who promised to pay him for setting military vehicles on fire. The accused faces up to ten years in prison.
In early October this year, the Kyiv police received reports of fires involving two military SUVs: an Isuzu Trooper and a Ford, parked on the streets. Subsequently, police identified a 34-year-old man originally from Simferopol.
According to the head of the Shevchenkivskyi police department, investigators along with operatives and crime analysts discovered that in 2014, after the annexation of Crimea, the offender remained in the temporarily occupied territory and obtained a Russian passport:
"Later, in 2021, he moved to Kyiv and at the beginning of the full-scale invasion joined the territorial defense forces. Afterward, he voluntarily left the service and, looking for 'easy' money, contacted a 'curator' from the aggressor country who promised him money for destroying military vehicles. He then purchased an incendiary liquid and set two military vehicles on fire. The 34-year-old Simferopol native was apprehended by operatives in cooperation with crime analysis experts.
Subsequently, investigators, under the procedural guidance of the Shevchenkivskyi District Prosecutor's Office, informed the suspect of charges under Part 2 of Article 194 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – intentional damage to property by arson. During the investigation, the suspect was held in custody.
The pre-trial investigation is now complete. The accused faces imprisonment for up to ten years.