MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. Russian Interior Ministry officers have detained 44 individuals on suspicion of arson and sabotage of administrative buildings in several Russian regions over the past week, the press service reported to TASS.

"In recent days, we have observed an increase in the number of deliberate crimes connected with attempts to set fire to and blow up administrative buildings and police cars, and to destabilize the operations of banking and postal institutions across a number of regions in the country. Such crimes were recorded in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as in the Moscow, Leningrad, Novosibirsk, Tver, Tula, Pskov, Krasnoyarsk, and Altai Regions, among others. From December 18 to 26, 55 unlawful incidents were recorded, and 44 suspects were detained by officers of internal affairs and other law enforcement agencies," the press service said.

The agency noted that in most cases, the perpetrators were elderly people. At the same time, according to the Interior Ministry, these crimes were also committed by younger people: schoolchildren and students, looking for easy money. "It was revealed that the suspects were acting on instructions from anonymous supervisors, received by phone or through messaging apps. Several criminal schemes were involved. As a rule, the perpetrators were incited to commit crimes by promises of money. <...> As experience shows, the Ukrainian special services are behind the organization of such crimes. Their employees or accomplices, using various methods of psychological manipulation, mislead citizens and provoke them into unlawful actions," the ministry stated.

The Interior Ministry added that there were cases where fraudsters first stole funds from citizens and then offered to return the stolen money on the condition that specific tasks be performed, such as arson or blowing up infrastructure or police cars. "Several people were intimidated. The caller posed as a law enforcement officer and claimed that a criminal case had been opened against the person for financing the Ukrainian armed forces, and that they would face criminal liability. To avoid this, the caller suggested committing criminal or terrorist acts. Currently, police officers are investigating all the facts. Criminal proceedings have been initiated against the perpetrators. The relevant articles of the Russian Criminal Code provide for penalties of imprisonment for up to 20 years," the agency said.

The Interior Ministry urges citizens not to succumb to provocations that encourage criminal acts. "The Russian Interior Ministry urges citizens to stay vigilant and avoid contacting unknown individuals by phone or other means of communication. If you do, be skeptical of any information you receive from them and verify it through official sources. If you are offered to commit a crime for money, as a solution to some problems, or under any other pretext, it is essential to immediately end the communication and report the incident to law enforcement. Remember that committing such illegal acts will inevitably lead to the dock, adversely affect your life, and that of your loved ones," the Russian Interior Ministry concluded.