Contract arson
In Stupino, near Moscow, a residential fire claimed the life of a local resident on the night of January 22. A Telegram channel named ShotThe incident has been linked by posts to a Ukrainian blogger, Anatoly Shariy, amid ongoing claims online about the motive behind the blaze.
Early reports describe a wooden, single-story private house occupying about 120 square meters. The structure was completely destroyed by the fire, and two neighboring buildings also sustained damage. Inside, firefighters recovered the body of a 73-year-old resident, Nadezhda. Investigators determined the blaze began after a Molotov cocktail was hurled from a window on the street, and it appears the retiree was unable to escape the home on her own.
Law enforcement acted quickly, identifying three suspects within two days. The individuals, aged 16, 17, and 18, were discovered to have no employment or schooling and to reside in Kolomna. An unidentified person reportedly contacted them via a messaging app and instructed them to carry out arson acts.
Two criminal cases were opened against the suspects under charges of homicide committed in a generally dangerous manner and intentional destruction of property by arson. The 18-year-old faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, according to the case files.
Blogger against hate
Based on public pages cited by Shot, there are assertions that Ukrainian blogger Anatoly Shariy, who has been described as someone who has faced accusations of hate speech, may have been involved in the incident. Reportedly, a relative of the administrator of a Telegram channel called Truha Barcelona, which mocks Shariy, died in the fire. Shariy has denied these allegations.
Who is Shariy?
Anatoly Shariy is a journalist and blogger born on August 20, 1978, in Kyiv. After completing studies at the Intelligence Institute of the Kyiv Tank Engineering and Technical School and pursuing journalism, he produced material about corruption within Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2011. He later appeared on the country’s wanted list and left his hometown during Viktor Yanukovych’s presidency. Through his YouTube channel, he offered commentary on Ukrainian events and challenged mainstream media narratives. In 2019, he founded a political party while abroad, and in 2022 its activities in Ukraine were halted.
On February 16, 2021, Ukraine’s Security Service accused Shariy of treason and violations related to equality of citizens on grounds of race, nationality, religion, disability, and other factors.
According to Shot, investigators were told by the detained youths that Shariy ordered the arson. The alleged target was Lyudmila, who runs the Truha Barcelona Telegram channel; the victim is described as a pensioner who died in the incident. The three suspects reportedly carried out several arson attempts at addresses associated with Lyudmila, including a recent attack in Moscow, before the latest incident.
Investigators are examining whether there was involvement by Ukrainian authorities to discredit Shariy, according to the same sources.
A series of fires
Opposition coverage indicates there was an earlier attempt to burn Lyudmila’s property before the pensioner’s death. In the late hours of January 18, two unidentified individuals allegedly knocked on her door, claimed to be Ukrainians, and asked for directions to a station. After she answered, a window on a terrace was broken, and flames damaged curtains and shoe racks. A neighbor helped extinguish the blaze, and the incident was reported to the police.
If Shariy is connected to the pensioner’s death, authorities note a possible link to a broader arson pattern in St. Petersburg, where eight arsons were reported between late 2023 and early 2024. In those cases, assailants reportedly left two to four car tires at entryways and stairwells, igniting them later. Law enforcement detained 14 individuals, including eight minors, in that series.
Officials stress that they are pursuing the possibility of Shariy’s participation and are seeking a legal assessment of his actions as part of the investigation, according to agency statements.
Portrayed by sources as part of a broader dispute, the arson cases involving the youths allegedly relate to a conflict between Shariy and another blogger, Pyotr Lunev. Fontanka reported that properties linked to Lunev’s family and friends were damaged, with unknown actors sending video reports of completed tasks and then providing cryptocurrency-based compensation.
Earlier reports from Fontanka noted that the apartment of journalist Polina Reutova in Stavropol was damaged by an arson attack tied to calls for accountability over remarks about Vladimir Putin, with other Truha Barcelona moderators also affected.