In Vsevolozhsk in the Leningrad region, a court ordered the 18-year-old suspect into pretrial detention in a terrorism case linked to the burning of a police vehicle. The regional branch of the Investigative Committee reported both the criminal case and the arrest.
According to investigators, at about 02:50 on July 14, the young man climbed over the fence of the district Interior Ministry building on Vakhrushev Lane, then set a traffic police car on fire and fled. He was later detained in St. Petersburg at a hotel on Staro-Petergofsky Prospekt, the Interior Ministry said.
A case was opened under Article 205, Part 2, Clause “a” of the Russian Criminal Code, which concerns an act of terrorism. Investigators then sought his placement in pretrial detention. The ruling was issued by the Vsevolozhsk City Court, which is located next door to the district police building where the arson took place.
In footage released by law enforcement, the young man is taken in for questioning wearing a suit and shirt. The Investigative Committee described him as a native of Altai Krai. In the video, the detainee says he acted on instructions from “handlers.”
The outlet 47news described the suspect as a victim of phone scammers. According to the publication, the callers posed as FSB officers and threatened his parents with serious consequences, including a possible criminal case for treason.
The court statement also identified the detainee by surname as Masko.