Arson at St. Petersburg gas station leads to terrorism charges Minor hospitalised

Russian investigators have opened a criminal case on charges of aiding terrorist activity following an arson attack at a gas station in St. Petersburg’s Kirovsky district, in which a teenager was seriously injured.

According to the Telegram post of the Main Investigative Directorate of Russia’s Investigative Committee for St. Petersburg, the incident occurred on February 5, 2026. Unidentified individuals allegedly contacted a minor born in 2012 by phone and persuaded the child to set fire to a fuel dispensing pump at the station.

The resulting blaze caused the teenager to suffer severe burns. The child was taken to the hospital and remains in serious condition.

Investigators have inspected the scene of the incident and are continuing a series of investigative actions aimed at establishing all the circumstances and identifying those involved.

By Tamilla Hasanova