Saboteurs exposed in Kyiv who set fire to military vehicles for money

Two young men from Kyiv have been charged with setting fire to cars with the symbols of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They face up to $15,000 for each task.

As part of an investigation conducted by the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office, 18- and 21-year-old residents of the capital were charged with obstructing the activities of Ukrainian military formations during martial law. According to the investigation, the young men acted by a preliminary conspiracy, which falls under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The investigation revealed that in April 2025, one of the suspects was looking for part-time work online and received an offer via Telegram to earn from $1,000 to $15,000 for setting fire to cars of service members or administrative buildings. The reward amount depended on the complexity of the task.

To complete the task, the attackers decided to set fire to a car with the symbols of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They began looking for the necessary car in the capital and came across a Nissan Navara on Prazhska Street, which they chose as a target. After agreeing with the “customer,” they received money to buy flammable liquid.

One evening, one of the suspects doused the car’s hood and windshield with a lighter, but due to the rain, the fire did not ignite, and the “task” was declared unfulfilled. Since they did not receive a reward, the young people decided to look for a new target. On Ustym Karmelyuk Street, they found a green Mitsubishi L-200, returned in the evening, and again set the car on fire.

Soon, both were detained and charged under the relevant articles of the law. According to the article’s sanction, the punishment can be 5 to 8 years of imprisonment.

Also in Kyiv, the police suspect a 29-year-old resident of setting fire to a premium Mercedes-Benz GLS-580 car, the cost of which exceeds 6.7 million hryvnias.