The Dzerzhinsky District Court of St. Petersburg has detained two Russian citizens whom FSB officers had previously detained for preparing terrorist attacks on New Year's holidays. This was reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the joint press service of the courts of St. Petersburg. The names of the accused also became known: Georgy Chernyshev and Nikita Semenov. Both of them were arrested until February 29, 2020.

The court session was closed.

Recall, on November 29, it became known that employees of the Federal Security Service detained two Russian citizens who were planning to carry out terrorist attacks in crowded places in St. Petersburg during the New Year holidays. Evidence was taken from men, which confirms the fact of preparation for the commission of a crime.

A criminal case has been instituted against them under Part 2 of Art. 205.5 of the Criminal Code (participation in the activities of a terrorist organization).

The FSB noted that the detainees confessed.

“Evidence materials confirming the preparation of terrorist attacks were seized from the detainees. They give a confession, ”the agency said.

In addition, the Federal Security Service distributed videos on which one of the detainees swears allegiance to the new leader of the Islamic State * Abu Bakr al-Qureishi.

Meanwhile, the FSB released a video of the detention of alleged terrorists. So, one of them was found by service employees in the entrance of a house, the other on the street. A search was also conducted in the apartment of one of the detainees.

It is worth recalling that information about the preparation of the attack was received by the Russian side from American colleagues. Information was transmitted through the special services. A spokesman for the Russian president Dmitry Peskov, commenting on this fact, noted that the prevention of the attack confirms the effectiveness of cooperation between Russia and the United States in this area.

“You see a message from the Federal Security Service about the detention of two suspects. This more than eloquently speaks of effectiveness, ”Peskov answered journalists' questions.

At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with his American counterpart Donald Trump and thanked him for "information that helped prevent the commission of terrorist acts in Russia." The leaders also agreed to continue bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

Counterterrorism

In November, the Russian leader said that employees of the Federal Security Service prevented 39 attacks in the nine months of 2019. Putin emphasized that behind every prevented terrorist attack are saved human lives. The President also noted that thanks to the clear work of the special services in Russia, large-scale international events were held without incident.

Also on November 28, Vladimir Putin called on the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries to conduct joint operations against terrorists.

“We will strive to further strengthen our interactions with partners in the fight against international terrorism and extremism,” Putin said during the meeting.

The Russian leader added that Moscow is ready to share the experience of the anti-terror that it received in Syria.

Terrorist attacks in St. Petersburg

Recall, a major terrorist attack in St. Petersburg occurred on April 3, 2017. The terrorists set off an explosive device in a train car between the Sennaya Ploshchad and Technological Institute stations. The militants also planned to undermine the Uprising Square station, but this was avoided: an explosive device was discovered on time.

Eyewitnesses report that the explosion rang out in the train car as soon as the train departed from Sennaya Ploshchad. The driver decided not to stop the train in the tunnel, but to bring it to the next station - it was easier to evacuate passengers.

The victims of the terrorist attack were 16 people, including a suicide bomber.

  • Technological Institute metro station in St. Petersburg, where the explosion occurred
  • RIA News
  • © Anatoly Medved

December 27, 2017 in St. Petersburg, an explosion occurred in the Perekrestok store on Kondratyevsky Prospekt. An improvised explosive device stuffed with striking elements was placed in a storage room near the cash desks. Explosion experts estimated the power of IEDs at 200 grams of TNT. The lobby of the store was badly damaged by the shock wave: a glass door was knocked out, a suspended ceiling collapsed, shelves were damaged.

As a result of the incident, 18 people were injured.

The day after the explosion, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the incident a terrorist attack.

* “Islamic State” (IG) - the organization was recognized as terrorist by decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of December 29, 2014.