Police launch criminal investigation into fireworks in Reni on May 9

Police have opened a criminal investigation into the launch of fireworks on May 9 in Reni, Izmail district, Odesa region.

According to the Izmail District Police Department of Odesa Oblast, the information about the incident was discovered during the monitoring of social media.

The investigative team of the territorial police unit is working at the scene. The incident was registered in the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations under Part 1 of Article 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. It is hooliganism, i.e. gross violation of public order on the grounds of obvious disrespect for society. Law enforcement officers are identifying the persons involved in the pyrotechnics launch.

Meanwhile, local residents confirmed to Intent that fireworks had been launched.

"We were very scared when we heard the explosions," said local resident Anna.

Two days earlier, in Odesa, police exposed two men who had set off fireworks on request during a missile strike on the city. The incident took place on January 31 during a rocket attack on Odesa, when two previously convicted men from Kyiv district, aged 37 and 48, deliberately set off fireworks in crowded places.

It should be noted that Odesa region is among the top three regions where fireworks were launched the most during the war. During the three years of the full-scale invasion, 5 sentences were passed in the region. Most violations were recorded in 2023 and 2024, with an increase in the number of verdicts each year. In 2022, there were only 5 cases, in 2023 - 17, and in 2024 - 22. In Ukraine, the number of sentences depended on the circumstances of the violation: in many cases, violators were punished with fines, with amounts ranging from 54 to 34 thousand hryvnias. However, in some cases, more serious penalties were imposed, such as community service or suspended sentences.

Launching salutes, fireworks and using firecrackers during martial law is prohibited throughout Ukraine.

In particular, in April 2023, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted in the second reading the draft law "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on the Use and Circulation of Pyrotechnic Products", which prohibits the use, sale and transfer of fireworks, salutes and firecrackers.

Кирило Бойко