A 16-year-old teenager in Nefteyugansk has been detained for setting fire to cars displaying patriotic symbols, allegedly under the direction of telephone scammers. The incidents resulted in the destruction of three vehicles, while a fourth was saved from complete destruction.

The teenager claimed he was coerced into committing the arson by individuals who contacted him via telephone. Initially, he received a call from someone posing as the head of his school, who requested a photo of his passport. Subsequently, he was contacted by someone claiming to be a police officer who told him to transfer savings to a “safe account” due to an alleged hacking of an account on the Unified Portal of State and Municipal Services.

Following these instructions, the boy transferred 200,000 rubles from his mother’s card. He then received another call informing him that the money had been used to finance a banned organization, which put his mother and sister at risk of arrest.

To prevent their supposed arrest, the student was instructed to locate and set fire to cars with patriotic symbols. Bystanders were able to extinguish two of the vehicles before emergency services arrived. No injuries were reported.

A criminal case has been initiated against the student, who now faces a potential prison sentence of up to five years. Currently, he is under a recognizance not to leave.