Unidentified persons set off fireworks in the center of Odesa

The police started an inspection because of the launch of fireworks in the center of Odesa during an air raid.

This was reported by the press service of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Odesa Oblast.

The incident, which occurred on November 15 at about 22:00 on Olhiyivska Street, was reported to law enforcement by eyewitnesses. Police officers were sent to the scene. The police are trying to identify the persons involved in the incident.

The relevant order was signed by the head of the Odesa Regional Police Department, Maksym Marchenko, in June 2022.

The ban was preceded by a series of incidents with fireworks. On June 18, unknown persons launched fireworks in a village in Odesa region during an air raid alert and fled.

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.

However, Odesa region was 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.

For example, in 2024, judges found three men guilty and sentenced them to various prison terms for setting off fireworks in Odesa despite the ban.

Кирило Бойко