Police blame Ukrainian scammers for wave of arson attacks and explosions in cities across Russia ahead of New Year holidays

Phone scammers coerced Russians into committing 34 arson attacks from December 13–22, Mediazona reports. The arsonists primarily targeted banks and police cars, though several incidents also occurred at post offices and government service offices in shopping centers. According to the FSB, these scammers “operate from Ukraine” and often pose as bank employees or law enforcement, convincing victims to transfer money and then forcing them to carry out arson attacks to supposedly recover their stolen funds. But coerced or not, the perpetrators now face terrorism charges and could spend years behind bars. Here’s what we know about these attacks so far.

The wave of attacks began on December 13, when a military enlistment office in Yekaterinburg was set ablaze. Twenty-one-year-old Dmitry Baranov reportedly transferred 3 million rubles (almost $30,000) to scammers, who then pressured him into throwing several Molotov cocktails at the building, promising to return his money. Baranov was later arrested and is now facing terrorism charges.

The majority of the incidents occurred on December 20 and 21, when a series of arson attacks and explosions rocked Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other Russian cities. Mediazona describes this as the second-largest wave of such attacks since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war. For the first time, government service offices and post offices were among the targets. In at least several cases, police said the suspects acted under instructions from scammers or unidentified individuals who contacted them via phone or messaging apps.

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In St. Petersburg and the surrounding region, police reported three arson incidents on December 20. A 20-year-old man was arrested for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at a military enlistment office, a 17-year-old girl was detained on suspicion of setting fire to a police vehicle, and an 18-year-old man was accused of torching an ATM. The following day, two elderly women were arrested for allegedly setting fire to a police vehicle, reportedly under instructions from phone scammers.

Later on December 21, an explosion at a Sberbank branch in St. Petersburg damaged ATMs and shattered windows, though the authorities reported no injuries. Surveillance footage showed an elderly woman pouring liquid on the ATMs and setting them on fire while filming the act. Police later detained a 68-year-old woman who lived nearby on suspicion of carrying out the attack.

In Moscow, visitors were evacuated from a shopping center on December 21 after a firecracker was reportedly detonated inside a government service office located there. A woman was stopped and handed over to police, who allege she acted under instructions from unknown individuals to whom she had “previously transferred 120,000 rubles [$1,185].” The Telegram channel Mash claimed that the woman, described as an elderly pensioner, carried out the act at the direction of “Ukrainian handlers.”

Two similar incidents occurred in the wider Moscow region that same day: fireworks were set off in another government service office in a shopping center in Korolyov and at a post office in Khimki, prompting evacuations. Police detained suspects in both cases, including a 64-year-old man in Korolyov who allegedly also attempted to set off fireworks at a police station.

The surge in arsons follows a broader trend that began after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Scammers reportedly target elderly or socially vulnerable individuals, posing as bank employees or security officials. They persuade victims to transfer money and later coerce them into committing arson, promising the return of stolen funds. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claims most of these scammers operate from Ukraine, using spoofed numbers that appear to belong to Russian law enforcement hotlines.

In response to the incidents, St. Petersburg authorities have heightened anti-terrorism security measures ahead of the New Year holidays. “Attempts to carry out terrorist acts in Russia and St. Petersburg continue,” said Governor Alexander Beglov. “Such actions carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison. Anti-terrorism measures have been strengthened in St. Petersburg, and the situation is under control.”