The Government has initiated severe punishment for designedly unveracious reports on bomb threats. The relevant draft law was approved at the Government’s sitting on December 18.

The issue at stake is false bomb threats in buildings, hospitals, educational establishments and other socially important objects, the collapse of which can cause property damage and a threat to human life and health.

The Government's decision is important as the number of deliberately false reports of threats to citizens' safety, destruction or damage of property has recently reached alarming proportions. According to the National Police of Ukraine, in the first five months of 2019, investigators have initiated a pre-trial investigation of about 600 such criminal offenses, which is almost equal to the figures registered throughout 2018.

The bill envisages severe punishment for this type of crime. In particular, there is a mandatory additional penalty in the form of confiscation of property. The draft law also stipulates for increased responsibility, which envisages imprisonment for a term of four to eight years with confiscation of property, for the fake threats of bombing in objects of critical infrastructure.