The 2nd Eastern District Military Court sentenced a resident of Novosibirsk to 20 years in prison in a case involving charges of treason, illegal possession of explosives, a terrorist attack, and deliberate destruction of property.
According to RBC, citing the press service of the FSB directorate for the Novosibirsk region, the first five years of the sentence are to be served in prison, with the remainder in a maximum-security penal colony.
The security service says the 38-year-old unemployed man was detained back in autumn 2024 after setting fire to a district office of the Federal Bailiff Service. During a search of his home, the FSB claims, officers found three drones equipped with drop mechanisms.
The agency also said investigators seized components of an improvised explosive device from his home, including gunpowder and metal striking elements.
Investigators believe the Novosibirsk resident made contact on his own with “Ukrainian handlers” via Telegram and then, in exchange for payment, set fire to the bailiffs’ office. After that, according to the FSB, he was instructed to use drones and homemade explosives to attack one of the region’s industrial facilities.
The agency did not specify which enterprise was allegedly targeted. The FSB also says the man had tested his personal quadcopter in advance to assess whether it could drop an explosive device fitted with striking elements.
The service added that the defendant admitted guilt and said he had repented.