Eight Suspects Charged with Arson and Sabotage in Odesa, Linked to Russian Orders

Law enforcement officers have served notices of suspicion to eight people accused of arson attacks ordered by representatives of the Russian Federation. Among them are three residents of Odesa who tried to set fire to a traffic light relay cabinet at the Odesa-Skhidna railway station.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the attackers used a car tire, which they doused with gasoline along with the cabinet. They filmed their arson for the report, but the attempt was unsuccessful.

Other members of the group, including a resident of Vinnytsia and two brothers from Kharkiv region, carried out similar sabotage: they set fire to relay cabinets and property of the Ukrainian military, and set fire to the village council building. They also filmed their actions.

The suspects are charged with attempted sabotage, sabotage, intentional damage to property and obstruction of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The investigation is being conducted by the regional offices of the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police.

Meanwhile, in Odesa region, two local residents will be brought to court on charges of sabotage, intentional damage to property and obstruction of the legitimate work of the Armed Forces. The indictment has already been sent to court. In particular, the men received an order via telegram from a representative of the Russian special services to commit arson and sabotage in the region. Following these instructions, in July 2024, they set fire to three relay cabinets, a transformer substation and a car of an Armed Forces serviceman.

Before that, the Kyiv District Court of Odesa sentenced a young man who set fire to vehicles that looked like military vehicles for money. The young man's father turned out to be a combatant.

Earlier in Odesa, law enforcement officers detained teenagers who had been recruited by Russian special services for sabotage. In Odesa, police detained two teenagers, aged 13 and 16, who set two cars on fire. They were caught along with two friends, aged 16 and 18, while trying to set another car on fire. The boys now face up to 15 years in prison.

Ірина Глухова