SBU nabs suspects in fires at military and rail sites across Ukraine
Ukraine’s security service detained two sabotage groups that allegedly set fire to rail energy facilities and military vehicles on orders from Russia on April 16.
Ukrainian law enforcement detained five more individuals accused of working with Russia to carry out sabotage attacks in Kyiv and Kharkiv, including a 15-year-old girl.
Investigators said the group had orders to set fire to energy infrastructure used by Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s national railway, which supports military transport to the front lines. They were also tasked with destroying vehicles used by mobile air defense units in both cities.
The suspects were recruited remotely via Telegram, often targeting locals looking to make “easy money.”
Two suspects — internally displaced men from Chasiv Yar, ages 19 and 21 — were arrested in Kyiv. Authorities say they were caught in the act of torching two military vehicles.
In Kharkiv, three more suspects were identified: two railway college students and their 15-year-old friend. Investigators say they set fire to 24 relay cabinets along front-line rail routes.
Authorities said the group was part of a broader Russian sabotage network that had also planned attacks in Vinnytsia.
The suspects face charges under Ukrainian law for sabotage committed by a group under martial law and for obstructing military operations.
On April 2, SBU spokesman Artem Dekhtyarenko said that nearly one in five Ukrainians recruited by Russian intelligence for missions inside Ukraine is a minor. He said youth are often used in sabotage efforts targeting military, police, and government buildings.
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