Russian investigators send six teenagers' arson case to court

Russia's Investigative Committee said it had completed an investigation and sent to court a case against six minors accused of 20 terrorist offences involving arson in the Sverdlovsk district of Luhansk region.

According to investigators, a person they identify as a representative of Ukrainian intelligence contacted one teenager in May 2025 through a Telegram group offering casual work. The teenager was allegedly offered money to set infrastructure facilities on fire.

Investigators describe the first incident as an electrical substation fire in Sverdlovsk allegedly started by the teenager and a friend. They say other teenagers were subsequently brought into the group.

A further 19 fires involving substations, gas infrastructure, mobile communications towers and vehicles allegedly followed between May and September 2025. Regional Investigative Committee spokeswoman Elena Markovskaya told RIA Novosti on October 16 that the case had been sent to court.

Markovskaya listed forensic examinations, analysis of money transfers, video recordings and testimony from witnesses, victims and defendants among the evidence collected. The alleged handler's case has been separated into its own proceedings.