Arson attacks: two Russia-hired suspects detained in Ternopil

The Security Service and National Police neutralized in Ternopil a criminal group who are believed to have been setting on fire vehicles driven by the Ukrainian military.

This was announced on Facebook by the SBU Office in Ternopil region, Ukrinform reports.

"The perpetrators turned out to be two local residents aged 54 and 56, who, on the instructions of their handlers, set fire to a military van in the backyard of an apartment block," the report says.

Law enforcers promptly detained both suspects on hot pursuit, seizing their cellphones used to record the attack for reporting to Russia.

The detailed video recording of the moment the car ignites was one of the key conditions for getting a monetary reward for the crime committed.

During interrogation, both enemy accomplices confessed, striking a deal with detectives.

According to the detainees, on one of the pro-Russian Telegram channels, they came across an ad offering an easy "side job", promising $2,500 for setting fire to a car driven by Ukraine’s military.

After the two agreed to cooperate, the handler sent them via a messenger app detailed instructions on how to find a potential target and set it on fire.

Currently, the culprits are in custody, facing up to eight years in prison.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Russia has been hiring Ukrainians via Telegram and other platforms for arson attacks targeting vehicles owned by Ukraine’s soldiers and officers across Ukraine.