VORONEZH, April 10. /TASS/. The Second Western District Military Court has sentenced two men to 19 and 25 years in prison for plotting terrorist attacks in the Voronezh Region, according to the press service of the regional prosecutor's office.
"The court, taking into account the position of the state prosecutor, sentenced one defendant, Zabolotny, to 25 years of imprisonment, with the first four years to be served in a standard prison and the remainder in a high-security penal colony, along with a fine of 1 million rubles (approximately $10,500). The other defendant, Volga, received a 19-year sentence, also to be served with the first four years in a standard prison and the rest in a high-security penal colony, combined with a fine of 900,000 rubles (approximately $9,500)," the news release states.
The court found that in the fall of 2022, Zabolotny, a citizen of Ukraine, received training in the Kharkov Region under the guidance of Ukrainian special services to commit a terrorist act targeting a serviceman of the Russian Armed Forces. He subsequently illegally entered Russia. From May to September 2023, Zabolotny undertook various tasks assigned by his handlers, aimed at determining the serviceman's residence, work schedule, and vehicle.
In January 2023, Volga established confidential online communication with representatives of the Ukrainian armed forces and special services. He began carrying out assignments to collect and transmit information regarding military facilities and personnel associated with the Baltimor military airfield in Voronezh. In August 2023, Volga was tasked with retrieving weapons, ammunition, and a silencer, along with over 10 kilograms of British-made explosives, electric detonators, and other materials necessary for constructing an improvised explosive device from a cache in the Pskov region. "After Volga retrieved the items from the cache and placed them in the trunk of his car, FSB officers established his identity and conducted a series of investigative and search operations aimed at uncovering other accomplices," the press service reported.
Under the oversight of special services, a cache containing components for an improvised explosive device was set up in Voronezh. This location was communicated to Volga’s Ukrainian handlers. In September 2023, Zabolotny was instructed to retrieve all items from the prepared cache, assemble an explosive device, and carry out a bombing targeting a Russian military serviceman by placing the device under the ceiling of a residential building's entrance. "Zabolotny successfully retrieved the components from the cache and made a 1.8 kg explosive device in his rented apartment. However, as he proceeded to the site of the planned attack the following morning, he was detained by FSB officers at the entrance," the press service stated.