Popov Sergey Olegovich

In the Novobogdanovskoye rural settlement of the Melitopol district of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, on the night of June 20-21, 2022, unknown individuals threw bottles with an incendiary mixture at the building of the settlement administration, causing a fire in the glass unit and the entrance door of the local administration building. No one was hurt. Later, a minor local resident, Ukrainian citizen Sergey Popov, was detained on charges of arson. According to Russian security forces, Popov, along with two acquaintances—Daniil Sokolov and Grigory Babchenko—acted 'with the aim of destroying the building.' Popov also threw the Russian tricolor flag from the building to the ground. A criminal case was opened against Ukrainians for an "act of international terrorism" and desecration of the Russian flag. According to the prosecution's version, Sokolov and Babchenko left for Ukraine after the arson of the administration and took part in combat operations. The case against the minor defendant was separated into a separate production and he was placed under arrest. On January 28, 2025, the Southern Military Court found Sergei Popov guilty and sentenced him to 5.5 years in prison. The verdict was not appealed and entered into legal force.