18 September 2026
(Photo: Odesa Regional Police)
In Odesa, police have identified the person who set fire to a restaurant on Sim’i Glodan Street. The suspect is a 19-year-old native of Kherson who committed the act for monetary compensation.
This was reported by the press service of the National Police in the Odesa region.
The fire occurred in late March of this year in the city’s Kyivskyi District. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, and law enforcement launched an investigation.
Police determined that a 19-year-old native of Kherson may have been involved in the arson. According to investigators, the young man was chatting on a messaging app with an unknown person who offered him money to set fire to restaurants in Odesa.
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The suspect agreed and chose a restaurant on Sim’i Hlodan Street. That night, he smashed a window of the restaurant with a hammer, doused the premises with a flammable liquid from a canister, and set it on fire. The man waited for the fire to spread through the restaurant, filmed the incident, and fled.
No one was injured in the fire, but the restaurant building sustained damage. The extent of the losses incurred by the owner is currently being determined.
During the investigation, law enforcement officers seized items that may serve as evidence in the case. Among them were a canister, a hammer, the camera used to film the arson, a cell phone, and other items.
Law enforcement officials have already gathered evidence, and investigators have notified the suspect of charges under Part 2 of Article 194 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—intentional damage to another person’s property committed by arson. This offense is punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years.
The young man is currently in custody. In addition to this arson, he is suspected of committing a series of serious and particularly serious crimes—including thehigh-profile murderof the founder of a charitable foundation, which Intent reported on, as well as the arson of another restaurant in Odesa.
Ірина Глухова