Man who set fire to 12 military vehicles detained in Kyiv

In the Ukrainian capital, law enforcement officers detained a man who set fire to 12 military vehicles in Kyiv's Desnianskyi district in 2022-2023.

Source: press service of the National Police in Kyiv

Quote: "The offender made improvised ignition devices and attached them to military vehicles.

Operatives of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Kyiv City Police exposed the man while he was trying to destroy the 13th vehicle. He faces up to ten years in prison."

Details: The Desnianskyi Police Department began to receive reports of car arsons in different streets of the district. All the cars were damaged with improvised devices.

Dmytro Shumeiko, head of the Kyiv police department, said that a series of arsons occurred at the end of 2022.

Shumeiko said that more than 1,000 people were interrogated as witnesses, dozens of people were quickly investigated, and hundreds of gigabytes of video footage were analysed.

The arsons were committed during a period of power outages, when there was no street lighting during Russian attacks on the city.

All of the car users were military personnel and people related to the defence forces of Ukraine.

The offender stopped putting cars on fire when he felt that law enforcement officers were on the trail.

However, in July 2023, the offender set fire to several military vehicles again.

The law enforcement came across a 35-year-old local resident who moved to Kyiv from another region in 2014.

The suspect was caught red-handed while planting an ignition device in another military vehicle.

During a search of the detainee's belongings, police officers found and seized another improvised device.

Quote from Shumeiko: "The offender made the devices himself, triggering them independently at a certain time. The detainee explained his actions by his negative attitude towards the military. The investigation into his involvement in other crimes, including those against the national security of Ukraine, is ongoing." 

More details: During the search of the offender's rented apartment in Kyiv, law enforcement officers seized mobile phones, a laptop, a Molotov cocktail and various electronic components – wires, microcircuits, electronic connectors, switches, etc. So far, 12 cars that he damaged in Desnianskyi district have been identified.

The offender was served with a notice of suspicion for committing a criminal offence under Part 2 of Article 194 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – intentional destruction or damage to property by arson.

The sanction of the article provides for 3 to 10 years in prison.

The court took him into custody.

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