Man sets fire to bank in Mykolaiv, smoking out FSB agent

In Mykolaiv, a 22-year-old resident of the Bashtansky district is suspected of setting fire to a bank branch on Tsentralnyi Avenue. According to the investigation, the man acted on the instructions of unknown persons whom he believed to be representatives of the special services.

According to the Central District Court of Mykolaiv, the incident occurred in the evening of April 11, 2026. The suspect poured gasoline on the doors and facade of the building and set them on fire. As a result of the fire, the entrance to the branch was completely destroyed.

The next day, law enforcement officers detained the man.

In court, he explained that he had met the girl on a dating site, after which he received a call from an unknown person who introduced himself as an SBU officer. The caller convinced him to help in a "special operation," including checking addresses and following instructions.

Subsequently, the man was ordered to buy gasoline, pour it near the bank and set fire to the building, allegedly to expose the FSB officer. The suspect stated that he had doubts, but the interlocutor assured him that "everything was coordinated" and it was part of the operation.

After the arson, he sent the video to the "customer" who immediately stopped communicating.

The investigation established that the man received the money to buy gasoline on a bank card. Witnesses from the gas station also confirmed his actions and strange behavior - according to them, he was intoxicated and said that he was"going to burn down the bank on the instructions of the SBU."

Investigating judge Ivan Dirko imposed a measure of restraint on the suspect in the form of round-the-clock house arrest.

Earlier, Intent wrote that in Odesa, a court took into custody a 25-year-old man suspected of setting fire to a military vehicle and collaborating with enemy special services. According to the investigation, he was carrying out tasks via Telegram and preparing for an even more serious crime - a terrorist attack.

On the eve of the crime, he met a girl through a chatbot in the popular messenger, but she did not come to the meeting. Instead, he was contacted by an unknown person who introduced himself as a law enforcement officer and said that his new acquaintance was allegedly a collaborator.

Андрій Колісніченко