Russian court sentences Ukrainian to 22 years for alleged terrorism on Crimean railway

A Russian court has sentenced Ukrainian citizen Pavlo Levchenko to 22 years in prison for alleged acts of terrorism on a railway in Russian-occupied Crimea.

That's according to the ZMINA Human Rights Center, as reported by Ukrinform.

Levchenko's sentence includes an initial five-year term in prison, followed by the remainder to be served in a maximum-security penal colony. He was also fined one million roubles.

Russian authorities accused Levchenko of multiple charges, including high treason, aiding terrorist activity, committing a terrorist attack as part of an organized group, preparing for a crime, attempting a terrorist attack, illegal manufacture of explosive devices, and violations of weapon-handling regulations resulting in severe consequences.

According to Russian claims, Levchenko allegedly established contact with an employee of Ukraine's HUR military intelligence agency in Zaporizhzhia on April 9, 2022. A year later, he purportedly retrieved materials for making explosives from caches and transported them to occupied Simferopol. There, he is accused of constructing two improvised explosive devices, which he allegedly placed under railway tracks and detonated as freight trains passed.

Russian officials further claimed that in October 2023, Levchenko planned to carry out additional explosions, this time targeting a fuel depot and railway tracks.

Earlier, Ukrinform reported that a Simferopol resident was sentenced to ten years in prison for allegedly preparing an act of sabotage on the railway.