The trial began in February and is being held behind closed doors, without access for the press and spectators. The defense plans to present its arguments on October 30.
The total number of defendants in the case is 13 individuals, including citizens of Russia, Armenia, and Ukraine. Currently, eight of them have been detained and are on trial.
The charges against Artem Azatyan, Georgy Azatyan, Oleg Antipov, Alexander Byelin, Vladimir Zloba, Dmitry Tyazhelykh, Roman Solomko, and Artur Terchanyan include terrorism (subparagraph "b" of part 3 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code) and illegal arms trafficking (part 4 of Article 222.1 of the Criminal Code). Additionally, Solomko and Terchanyan are also suspected of smuggling explosives (part 3 of Article 226.1 of the Criminal Code). The investigation believes that the organizer of the terrorist act is the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasily Malyuk.
All defendants deny their guilt. According to the BBC Russian Service, the defendants' lawyers claim that their clients are "random individuals who found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time."
The Crimean Bridge, which was built across the Kerch Strait after the annexation of the peninsula by Russia, has been targeted in attacks twice since the onset of the full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine.
In October 2022, a truck loaded with explosives exploded on the bridge, resulting in the destruction of several spans of the roadway. As a result of the tragedy, the truck driver and four other people in a nearby vehicle were killed.
In July 2023, the bridge was attacked by naval drones, leading to the death of a couple from the Belgorod region, while their 14-year-old daughter was injured. After each of the attacks, traffic on the bridge was temporarily halted for repairs.
The Security Service of Ukraine claimed responsibility for organizing both explosions on the Crimean Bridge.
