The 1st Eastern District Military Court sentenced 24-year-old resident of Birobidzhan Alexei Kelner to 18 years in prison under articles on "terrorism training", "treason", as well as "preparing sabotage" and "terrorist attack", reported "Mediazona"* in the court's press service, noting that the defendant "fully admitted guilt and repented".
Alexei Kelner was detained on May 8 last year, according to his mother, he was accused of planning to carry out a terrorist attack on Victory Day. A few days later, the regional FSB reported on the prevention of the terrorist attack.
The security forces claimed that Kelner was planning to set fire to a recruitment point for military service under contract located in an apartment building. The intelligence agency's report stated that an "incendiary flammable mixture prepared by him for the terrorist attack" was found in his garage.
In the footage of the operational shooting distributed by the FSB, Kelner says that he was recruited on Telegram by an SBU officer and "received a task to carry out terrorist acts". Later, the charges also included intelligence in favor of the SBU and plans to set fire to relay cabinets on the railway.
Meanwhile, the young man's mother reported that he told her about torture, for instance, the phone password was "beaten out with a stun gun".
Alexei Kelner worked as an electrician in a military unit, was a civilian employee. As his mother told "Mediazona", he was against the war, supported Ukraine, and recently became radicalized. However, she is not sure that her son would ultimately have decided to commit a crime.
* Recognized as a "foreign agent" in Russia.