In Latvia, two people were sentenced to prison for setting fires on the railroad
In Latvia, two men accused of setting fire to railway facilities were sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Oleg Sverlov was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison, and Arnis Jansons to 7.5 years. According to the investigation, the arson attacks were organized in the interests of Russia, and the damage to the Latvian railway amounted to more than 56,000 euros.
The Riga City Court approved plea agreements between the prosecution and the two defendants in the case involving the arson of Latvian railway facilities. Oleg Sverlov received a 5.5-year prison sentence and an additional five years of probation. The court sentenced Arnis Jansons to 7.5 years in prison and five years of probation.
Both fully admitted their guilt and agreed to the sentences as part of their plea agreements with the prosecutor’s office. The court’s decision pertains to the case involving the intentional arson of railway facilities and aiding a foreign state in actions against Latvia.
The damages exceeded 56,000 euros
Separately, the court ordered Sverlov and Jansons to jointly compensate the aggrieved company, Latvijas dzelzceļš, 56,684 euros. According to the case file, the charges relate to four arson attacks on railway infrastructure in Riga. Three of them occurred in October 2025, and another in January 2026.
The arsonists set fire to electrical distribution and relay cabinets. Some of these cabinets were responsible for railway lighting, while the relay cabinets supported the operation of train control systems. In other words, this was not merely a matter of property damage. The arson attacks could have disrupted the operation of the railway infrastructure.
How, According to the Investigation, the Arson Attacks Were Organized
According to the case file, Oleg Sverlov was the organizer of the sabotage. As the investigation claims, while in prison for other crimes, he received orders to carry out the arson attacks and enlisted Arnis Jansons to carry them out. Jansons, in turn, allegedly carried out some of the arson attacks himself. In other cases, he enlisted two other people—Yuriy Lux and Yuriy Lechenkov.
The arson attacks were recorded on video. According to the investigation, the recordings were then sent to the client via Telegram as confirmation that the task had been completed. The Latvian State Security Service had previously stated that it had identified a link between these actions and Russian interests. It was after receiving the relevant evidence that the case was transferred from the State Police to the State Security Service for further investigation.
What Will Happen to the Other Defendants
The cases of Yuri Lechenkov and Yuri Lux will be heard separately. Three of the four defendants have fully admitted their guilt and agreed to plea deals with the prosecution. Lechenkov admitted to participating in the arson attacks but denies the charges of collaborating with foreign intelligence services. In addition, he faces charges of possession of amphetamine.
Lechenkov also requested a psychiatric evaluation. He claimed that he was not aware of his actions. The Riga City Court is to hear the cases against him and Lux separately. According to the information provided, the next hearing is scheduled for October 5.
Three were detained in early 2026
The investigation began following a series of arson attacks on railway facilities in Riga. Initially, the State Police handled the case, collaborating with the Latvian State Security Service from the very beginning. In January 2026, the police, in collaboration with the State Security Service, detained three suspects. A fourth suspect was already in prison at that time, serving a sentence for other crimes.
In May, the State Security Service submitted case materials to the prosecutor’s office to initiate criminal proceedings against the four individuals. In July, the prosecutor’s office announced that the case had been referred to court. According to Latvian authorities, the defendants are charged with assisting a foreign state in actions against Latvia as part of a group and with the intentional destruction of another’s property by arson.
Latvia has reported other similar cases
The Latvian State Security Service stated that this is not the first criminal case related to arson attacks on infrastructure carried out in the interests of Russia. According to the agency, such acts of sabotage may be aimed not only at causing material damage but also at creating a sense of danger among the population and undermining confidence in the state’s ability to protect critical infrastructure.
In March 2026, Latvian law enforcement also reported another case involving arson attacks on railway infrastructure. That case involved five incidents in different locations, with damages estimated at over 372,000 euros. Thus, the case of Sverlov and Jansons has become one of several criminal proceedings in Latvia related to arson attacks on infrastructure facilities, which Latvian law enforcement agencies link to actions carried out in the interests of Russia. Two of the defendants have already been sentenced, while the trial of two other suspects is ongoing. This was reported by the Delfi news portal.
On September 9, the Latvian State Security Service (VDD) opened a criminal investigation into threats of terrorist acts against Latvian companies that manufacture and supply weapons to Ukraine.
