Men arrested in Volyn and Zaporizhzhia for arson and spying for Russia

The Security Service of Ukraine, SBU,  said they arrested two men in Volyn and Zaporizhzhia who were assisting Russian troops by setting fire to vehicles  and spying on Ukrainian military positions.

In Zaporizhzhia, SBU operatives arrested a 31-year-old former drug addict recruited by Russian intelligence soon after his release from prison. The man was ordered to set fire to a military vehicle the Ukrianian troops took back to the city for maintenance.  He also spied on the troops locations to help Russian forces plan airstrikes on Zaporizhzhia. Security teams caught him when he was  about to set fire to another military vehicle.

Another arrest took place in Volyn where an 18-year-old local was caught red-handed setting  fire to a relay cabinet on a railway line. Russian intelligence recruited him when he looked for odd jobs on Telegram channels.

Both men who are now in custody face espionage and sabotage charges under the Ukrainian Criminal Code.

Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.

The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.

In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.

Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.

Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.