A 35-year-old woman in Nizhny Tagil is set to stand trial after being charged with setting fire to two buildings, including a volunteer center that provides assistance to Russian military personnel involved in the conflict in Ukraine, regional judicial authorities announced.
The unified press service of the courts of Sverdlovsk Oblast confirmed to news outlet Lenta.ru that the unnamed resident faces criminal charges for destroying property by arson and causing significant financial damage.
According to investigators, the incident began in January when telephone scammers claiming to represent banking institutions and official Russian government departments contacted the woman. The callers persuaded her that unauthorized loans were being fraudulently registered under her name and that funds were being illegally transferred abroad.
Acting under severe pressure from the fraudsters, the woman complied with their demands by securing bank loans and pawning her personal valuables at a local pawnshop. After exhausting her financial resources, she was given a new assignment by the callers: to target and set fire to two separate premises situated on Vogulskaya Street in the Ural city.
Details of the arson attack
Investigators state that one of the targeted properties on Vogulskaya Street was actively being used as a center to support soldiers serving in the Special Military Operation. Following step-by-step instructions provided by the scammers, the woman bought fuel canisters, petrol, and lighters before making her way to the site.
Upon arrival, she broke the windows of both buildings, poured petrol inside, and ignited the premises. The defendant filmed the entire arson attack using her mobile phone camera, recording the flames as instructed by the fraudsters.
Official estimates compiled by investigators placed the total damage resulting from the fires at more than one million rubles. Following her arrest, the accused fully admitted her guilt during questioning, telling authorities that she carried out the attack out of fear for the lives of her children.
Regional context and volunteer centers
Nizhny Tagil is a major industrial city located in Sverdlovsk Oblast within Russia's Ural Mountains region. Across Russian municipalities, centers supporting participants in the Special Military Operation, which is the official Russian designation for the military campaign in Ukraine, assemble volunteer assistance, medical supplies, and gear for soldiers deployed in the field.
The case against the 35-year-old resident has now been submitted to the court system in Sverdlovsk Oblast, where she will formally stand trial under the article of the criminal code covering arson and intentional destruction of property.
