ROSTOV-ON-DON, July 31. /TASS/. Russia’s North Caucasus Military Court has found Ukrainian citizen Alexei Sizonovich guilty of illegally crossing the border and plotting a terrorist attack in the Russian town of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky (Rostov region), sentencing him to 12 years behind bars, a TASS correspondent reported from the courtroom.

"The North Caucasus Military Court has found [Sizonovich] guilty and sentenced him to 12 years in prison, as well as to fines of 200,000 rubles ($3,330) and 50,000 rubles ($830)," the judge said. Sizonovich will remain in custody until the verdict comes into force.

The Ukrainian citizen has been found guilty in accordance with the articles of the Russian Criminal Code establishing criminal liability for "preparations for a terrorist attack," "illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transport or carrying of explosive substances and explosive devices" and "illegal crossing of the Russian Federation’s state border."

According to earlier reports, during the pleadings the prosecutor demanded that Sizonovich be sentenced to 12 years in a high-security penal colony and a fine of 200,000 rubles.

Sizonovich’s defense attorney, in turn, requested the court to pay attention to the fact that her client had been cooperating with investigators since his arrest, he had also pleaded guilty and repented for his crimes.

Preparations for terrorist attack

According to investigators, in April 2016, Sizonovich and his accomplice set up a criminal group in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev aiming to prepare and carry out terrorist attacks in Russia and Ukraine. According to the convict, he collected information concerning transport infrastructure facilities and handed it over to his senior known as Vladislavovich, who claimed to be a Ukrainian intelligence officer.

During court hearings it was established that Sizinovich had the knowledge necessary for making various explosive devices, since he had previously worked at a mine as a demolition specialist.

In May 2016, Sizonovich was given orders to go to the town of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky located in Russia’s Rostov region in order to collect information about the local railway station and study the train schedule, as well as figure out the best place for planting an explosive device.

The prosecutor said that a terrorist attack on the railway station was planned to be carried out in September 2016, on the day when the State Duma (lower house of parliament) election was taking place. However, Sizonovich was arrested before he could plant an explosive device.