In the Leningrad region, authorities report that a car passenger allegedly set a vehicle on fire after it was stopped by traffic police. The information comes from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, specifically the St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region Main Directorate.
The incident took place on March 31 in the village of Bolshoe Kuzemkino. A VAZ-2104 was stopped by a traffic inspector, who found the driver to be a 21-year-old local resident showing signs of alcohol intoxication. Accompanying him was a 24-year-old man who also appeared intoxicated. The passenger in the back seat moved around the car, opened the trunk, and ignited fuel that had spilled from a plastic drum, starting a blaze inside the vehicle.
Upon notification, traffic police contacted the police department in the Kingisepp district. Arriving officers detained the arsonist. A protocol was drawn up against the driver under Part 1 of Section 12.2 of the Administrative Offenses Code of the Russian Federation for violating rules related to vehicle state numbers.
The passenger is listed as a police officer under Article 20.21 of the Administrative Offenses Code. He was taken to a police station where a protocol was prepared for appearing intoxicated in public. The following day, a criminal case was opened against him under Part 2 of Article 167 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for deliberate destruction or damage to property, and he remained in custody pending further investigation.
Earlier reports note a separate incident in which a man bought tin cans from a taxi driver in the Nizhny Novgorod region and set fire to a nightclub, highlighting a pattern of alleged arson linked to intoxication and reckless conduct.
Citation for context: official statements from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with subsequent follow-up by regional law enforcement authorities, provide the timeline and charges related to this event. The information reflects ongoing investigations and is subject to change as new facts emerge (source attribution: Ministry of Internal Affairs, St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region Main Directorate).