A 48-year-old Mukachevo resident set fire to a mobile phone base station generator, torched the village council building in Klyucharky, and stole eight bicycles from apartment building entryways. The court handed down a severe, actual sentence.
The Mukachevo City and District Court found a 48-year-old local resident, who had previously been convicted of drug-related crimes, guilty of committing a series of arson attacks and systematic thefts under martial law. The repeat offender was sentenced to a prison term to be served in person.
The Mukachevo District Prosecutor’s Office represented the prosecution in court, according to a report from the Transcarpathian Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
Arson attacks on a mobile communications generator and the administrative building of the village council
During the trial, prosecutors fully proved the defendant’s involvement in a series of brazen acts of sabotage in the region:
- Destruction of communications equipment: in late November 2024, the defendant doused a powerful diesel generator in Mukachevo—which provided uninterrupted backup power to a leading mobile operator’s tower during power outages—with a flammable mixture and set it on fire;
- Arson at a government facility: A few days later, the man, along with an accomplice, attacked the administrative building of the Klyucharkivsky Starosta District of the Mukachevo City Council—the perpetrators doused the building’s entrance doors and window frames with fuel and set them on fire.
A Series of Thefts in Mukachevo’s High-Rise Buildings
In parallel with the arson attacks, the perpetrator engaged in looting in Mukachevo’s residential areas:
- he systematically broke the locks on the entrance doors to building stairwells, basements, and storage rooms in apartment buildings;
- the thief’s haul included eight bicycles belonging to residents, which he hid for later resale on the black market.
During the court hearings, the defendant fully admitted his guilt in the crimes he was charged with.
Court sentence: 7 years and 1 month in prison
After reviewing all the evidence gathered and taking into account a prior, unexpunged conviction for possession of narcotics, the court found the Mukachevo resident guilty of:
- Part 2 of Article 194 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—intentional destruction or damage to property committed by arson;
- Part 4 of Article 185 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—theft committed on a large scale or under martial law, combined with breaking into a dwelling or other premises.
For the aggregate of these crimes, the Mukachevo City and District Court sentenced the defendant to 7 years and 1 month of imprisonment.
Until the court decision becomes final and the appeal period expires, the man will remain in custody at the pretrial detention center.
