Arsonists who set fire to railway property and a Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicle were convicted in Kyiv

A Kyiv court has sentenced three men who, acting on someone’s orders, set fire to railway infrastructure facilities and a military officer’s vehicle. The perpetrators were each sentenced to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property for sabotage and obstructing the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 

This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General, noting that the convicts are also required to compensate Ukrzaliznytsia JSC for the damages.

The investigation established that in July 2024, the suspects set fire to two relay cabinets, for which they received $200. On the same day, they destroyed a Nissan Navara vehicle belonging to a military officer, filming the process on video to report back to their client. Although the men, born in 1996, 2004, and 2005, did not admit their guilt, prosecutors provided sufficient evidence to warrant a harsh sentence.

Such arson attacks are part of hybrid operations coordinated by Russian intelligence agencies to destabilize the internal situation in Ukraine. The convicted men are currently in custody, and their actions have been classified under articles on treason and intentional damage to property under martial law. Law enforcement agencies continue their systematic efforts to identify networks of agents who threaten the security of railway connections and the property of the Defense Forces.

As a reminder, the SBU detained a woman suspected of working for Russian intelligence services.

The SBU has also uncovered new schemes to evade mobilization across Ukraine.