Policemen in Kyiv have detained a Georgian national on suspicion of torching cars.
The suspect told the police via an interpreter that he had acted on orders from opposition groups, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry reported on Sunday.
“The suspect claimed that he got acquainted with a man while looking for a job in Kyiv, who offered him UAH 600 for torching cars. Before fulfilling the ‘mission’ the two went to the House of Trade Unions on Khreschatyk, temporarily accommodating the opposition’s National Resistance Staff and some of the Maidan movement’s services, and rose to the fifth floor. A group of masked men they met gave them the numbers of the cars to be torched, as well as cash and gasoline,” the Interior Ministry said.
The suspect was detained when the group set out to fulfill the mission. The others fled, it said.
Reports said earlier that fire services were called 17 times early on Jan. 30 to tackle car arsons, in which 23 cars were damaged or destroyed.
All fires are being probed as arson in which property was destroyed or damaged, the Interior Ministry said.
