MOSCOW, July 25. /TASS/. Russia’s Investigative Committee has brought charges in absentia against former Ukrainian Defense Minister Anatoly Gritsenko over his public calls to blow up railway trains in Russia, the IC’s press service said on Wednesday.

According to the investigators, during the livestream of an online conference of the Studio 1+1 TV broadcasting company on July 16, 2014 "Gritsenko called in public to carry out terror attacks on Russia’s territory by blowing up railway trains."

A criminal investigation has been launched against Gritsenko over "public calls to carry out terrorism activity" under Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Russian Criminal Code.

Another criminal probe has been opened over Gritsenko’s calls during the broadcast by Channel 112 Ukraine on July 2, 2017 to stage terror attacks in Moscow and Taganrog. "Now the criminal cases into two crimes committed by Anatoly Gritsenko have been united into one proceeding and he has been charged in absentia," the IC said.

Under Article 12 of the Criminal Code foreign citizens not residing in Russia on a permanent basis who committed crimes outside Russia aimed against Russia’s national interests are subject to criminal liability under the Russian law.