Kherson Arson Suspects Face Up to 15 Years for Attacking Military Vehicles

Members of an organized group that set fire to military vehicles will be tried in Kherson. They face up to 15 years in prison.

According to the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office, an indictment was handed over to the court against four people suspected of deliberately setting fire to vehicles belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and representatives of the Defense Forces.

According to the investigation, in July-August 2024, a group of criminals acted according to a pre-agreed plan to sabotage and obstruct the activities of the Ukrainian military. They set fire to the cars of the defenders of Ukraine using incendiary mixtures, and the process was recorded on video for further reporting to the curators.

For each completed "task", the group members received a monetary reward. Law enforcement officers documented at least three cases of arson in Kherson, which caused losses of more than UAH 5 million.

According to the prosecutor's office, three suspects are currently in custody, and the organizer, who is hiding in the temporarily occupied territory, may be tried under a special procedure.

Currently, the suspects face 8 to 15 years in prison under the most serious article they are charged with.

Earlier, the Security Service and the National Police neutralized a criminal group that was carrying out an "order" from Russia to commit arsons. As a result of the special operation in Kherson, Odesa and Mykolaiv, the organizer and three members of the criminal group coordinated by the FSB were detained.

Meanwhile, in Odesa, a 14-year-old boy recruited by Russian special services set fire to a military vehicle. However, he never received payment. Now the teenager faces prison.

Андрій Колісніченко