Тhree Armenians sentenced to life in Crimea bridge case
Panarmenian.net
Three Armenians — Artyom and Grigor Azatyan, and truck driver Artur Terjanyan — have been sentenced to life imprisonment in the Crimea Bridge terrorism case. The verdict was delivered by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov‑on‑Don, Russia.
In addition to them, five other individuals — Oleg Antipov, Aleksandr Bilin, Vladimir Zloban, Dmitry Tyazhelykh, and Roman Solomko — also received life sentences, reports Sputnik Armenia.
They were charged with organizing a terrorist act and the illegal circulation of explosives or weapons. Solomko and Terjanyan were additionally accused of smuggling an explosive device.
According to the case materials, the October 8, 2022 explosion on the Crimea Bridge occurred when a device hidden inside a truck detonated, igniting a fuel tanker and killing five people. The investigation was followed by multiple arrests, and Russia’s Federal Security Service reported detaining eight individuals.
The explosive device was allegedly prepared in Ukraine and concealed in rolls of construction polyethylene film. The cargo traveled a complicated route from Odesa with assistance from Armenian, Georgian, and Ukrainian nationals, reaching the port of Poti, then Yerevan, and from there being transported to Russia via Upper Lars.
According to investigators, the operation was organized by Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, while the First Deputy Head of Ukraine’s Security Service, Malyuk, together with unidentified persons, formed the group that included the convicted defendants.
