In Zakarpattia region, authorities investigate possibility that forest fire is set on behalf of Russians

Myroslav Biletskyi, head of the Zakarpattia Regional Military Administration, told a Ukrinform correspondent about this.

"A theory is being considered—it is unconfirmed, but it is being investigated—regarding a possible arson ordered by Russians who recruit teenagers via messaging apps. Over the past month, we have seen several such cases involving recruitment in the Zakarpattia region, including a teenager at the Chop Lyceum and a woman who poisoned a soldier in Uzhhorod," he said.

As Biletskyi explained, this theory is being considered because the location where the fire started is difficult to access. The terrain there is extremely rugged, with many cliffs, hard-to-reach areas, and windbreaks.

"It is located quite far from the village; it is not a tourist spot at all—there is no one there who would just start a fire or burn dry vegetation, as people do in villages near gardens. You have to drive or walk there on purpose. That's why there's a theory that this was arson commissioned by someone," noted the head of the Zakarpattia Regional Military Administration.

He added that yesterday, May 6, a fire was also reported in Berehove: "It also happened in an area with centuries-old valuable tree species. The cause of that fire was also unclear—thank God, the fire was extinguished."

Biletskyi emphasized that this is a negative trend in Zakarpattia—efforts to destabilize the region by recruiting locals, particularly teenagers, to the enemy's service.

Earlier reports indicated that, on the second day, authorities in the Zakarpattia region managed to contain a large-scale forest fire near Volovets on the slopes of the Borzhava Range.

As reported by Ukrinform, a fire broke out on the evening of May 5 in a forest area near Volovets on the slopes of the Borzhava Range. Efforts to contain the fire were unsuccessful for nearly two days. Aviation was deployed, and more than three hundred rescuers and emergency service personnel were working on the scene, with additional support brought in from neighboring regions.

Photo: State Emergency Service