In Britain, a Belarusian citizen is accused of setting fire to a car with Ukrainian registration

Katerina Melnychenko
Katerina Melnychenko Deputy Editor-in-Chief
In Britain, a Belarusian citizen is accused of setting fire to a car with Ukrainian registration
Investigations are ongoing into whether the case fell under the National Security Act (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)
In the United Kingdom, a 30-year-old Belarusian citizen is accused of conspiracy to set fire to a car with Ukrainian registration. According to investigators, he received the assignment through a Russian-language website.

This was reported by The Independent.


The case concerns Artyom Sadarzhinov from Rutland County in the East Midlands. He is accused of conspiring with others to commit arson of a vehicle between 31 August and 15 February.

Prosecutor Ben Lloyd told the Old Bailey court that the defendant allegedly saw an advertisement on a Russian-language website which, according to the prosecution, supports and promotes illegal activities. The website had a section called "car arson".

According to the prosecution, Sadarzhinov visited the website several times, after which he received instructions via applications, including Telegram, to find a car with Ukrainian registration, send a video to the curator, agree on the target and set fire to the car for a reward.

The prosecutor said that it is being examined whether the case falls under the National Security Act.

During a preliminary hearing held on Friday via video link from Pentonville Prison, the defendant, through his lawyer, stated that he did not admit guilt and had no intention of committing arson.

The court scheduled a plea hearing for 19 June at the Old Bailey. A two-week trial at Leicester Crown Court is tentatively scheduled to begin on 6 April 2027. The defendant will remain in custody.

Counter Terrorism Policing London said the investigation is ongoing, but law enforcement does not see a wider threat to the public in connection with this case.

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