Soldier is in jail for setting fire to car in Odesa region

In Odesa region, a court remanded in custody a serviceman suspected of setting fire to a truck for a reward. According to the investigation, the man was on vacation after being injured and, together with an accomplice, fulfilled an order received via Telegram.

This was reported by Intent with reference to the ruling of the Podil City District Court.

According to the investigation, the two men were looking for money through the Telegram messenger and came across an unidentified person who offered them to set fire to a car in Podilsk for a reward of 35 to 70 thousand hryvnias.

Investigators found that on May 19, 2026, the men arrived at Bochkovych Lane near the city's House of Culture, where they noticed a truck belonging to a local resident. At half past eleven in the evening, one of the men doused the front of the vehicle with fuel from plastic bottles and set it on fire with a lighter, while the other filmed everything to send to the customer. They then fled the scene and shared the video on Telegram.

According to the case file, the perpetrators received 10 thousand hryvnias after the arson. The very next day, one of the men was detained and notified of being suspected of arson.

In court, the prosecutor insisted on keeping him in custody, arguing that there were risks of escape, influence on witnesses, and the possibility of re-committing the crime. The investigation also claimed that the perpetrators had possible ties to people in the territory of unrecognized Transnistria.

The defense requested a more lenient measure of restraint - house arrest at night. The lawyer said that the suspect is a military man and is on leave after being seriously injured. According to her, the man underwent long-term treatment and underwent cranioplasty surgery after a combat injury.

The judge ruled to take the suspect into custody until July 18, 2026, but left the possibility of bail in excess of UAH 266,000.

Also in Odesa, a 41-year-old man accused of setting fire to two minibuses ordered via a messenger will be tried. According to the investigation, he was promised $700 for each burned car, but never received the money.

Анна Бальчінос