A Russian military court in Rostov-on-Don convicted eight individuals on terrorism and arms trafficking charges related to the October 8, 2022 truck bomb attack on the Crimean Bridge, sentencing all to life imprisonment on November 27, 2025. The 19-km Kerch Strait span—Europe's longest bridge, built post-2014 Crimea annexation—suffered two section collapses, killing five (truck driver and four civilians) and igniting a fuel train, halting traffic for months amid extensive repairs costing millions. Moscow labeled it terrorism, retaliating with strikes on Ukraine's power grid that winter.
Defendants Artyom Azatyan, Georgy Azatyan, Oleg Antipov, Alexander Bylin, Vladimir Zloba, Dmitry Tyazhelykh, Roman Solomko, and Artur Terchanyan—Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian, and Georgian nationals—were accused of aiding Ukraine's SBU in smuggling 21.5 tons of explosives hidden in a truck disguised as humanitarian aid from Bulgaria via Georgia. SBU chief Lt. Gen. Vasyl Maliuk admitted in 2023 his team executed it using unwitting couriers, while five others face in-absentia charges. The closed-door trial began February 2025; all denied knowledge of the cargo.
Oleg Antipov, whose logistics firm shipped the load, voluntarily approached FSB post-blast but was arrested days later. In a Mediazona video from court, he protested from a glass cage: "We all passed polygraphs... All 116 volumes say we are innocent," insisting full cooperation and no testimony against them. Antipov's wife Irina corroborated his innocence claim to investigators initially.
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The bridge symbolizes Kremlin control, vital for military supplies to southern Ukraine since February 2022 invasion. Ukraine struck it thrice: October 2022 truck bomb, July 2023 sea drones (two deaths), and June 2025 underwater explosives (1,100kg on piers). Russia accuses SBU's Maliuk of masterminding; repairs continue amid psychological blows to Moscow. Convictions underscore Russia's hardline stance on infrastructure sabotage amid war, with defendants' appeals possible despite closed proceedings fueling transparency doubts.
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