The russian intelligence services, aiming to destabilize the situation in Ukraine, encouraged minors to set fire to vehicles belonging to Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel in exchange for money. This was reported by the National Police of Ukraine.
"Russian intelligence operatives promise minors generous rewards for arson. In Odesa, the police uncovered two boys, aged 13 and 16, who set fire to two vehicles belonging to servicemen. The teenagers were apprehended with two friends, aged 16 and 18, while attempting to set another vehicle on fire", - stated the National Police.
The police investigators handed over the materials to the Security Service of Ukraine investigators, who, based on the evidence collected, charged the detained suspect with committing a criminal offense under Part 2 of Article 113 (Sabotage committed under martial law) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The youngest, a 13-year-old boy, was released to his parents' custody. The others were remanded in custody without bail. They face up to 15 years in prison.
For a similar crime, officers detained two more youths, aged 17 and 18, under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. They were also charged and remanded in custody.
Arson attacks on Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicles were also reported in Kyiv and Dnipro. Urgent investigative actions are underway, and the pre-trial investigation continues.
Law enforcement officers noted that since the beginning of 2024, the aggressor country's intelligence services have been increasingly active on social media, recruiting individuals as young as 13 for clandestine sabotage activities.
Those found guilty of such crimes face up to 15 years in prison or life imprisonment.