The 2nd Western District Military Court sentenced in absentia Russian citizen Elena Popova and Ukrainian Maria Savosta to terms of up to 24 years in prison, accused of the murder of Russian missile officer Konstantin Nagayko, TASS reported.
Savosta was sentenced to 18 years in a penal colony, and Popova to 24 years in prison, one year of restricted freedom, and a fine of 700 thousand rubles. The accused were also ordered to pay 70 thousand rubles under a claim from the military unit where the explosion occurred.
Both women were found guilty of committing a terrorist act, and Popova was also charged with illegal trafficking of explosive materials.
Nagayko was the commander of a battery of the 112th missile brigade of the Russian army. The GUR considers him involved in strikes on Ukrainian territory. In particular, Ukrainian intelligence accuses the officer of a missile strike on the village of Groza near Kharkiv in the fall of 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 59 people.
According to the case materials, the 29-year-old captain was killed in the city of Shuya, Ivanovo region, on December 30 last year. According to the investigation, Savosta sent him a parcel with a cosmetic set as a New Year's gift. Popova delivered this parcel to Nagayko through other people, and it ended up on the officer's desk. When the military officer opened the gift, an explosion occurred. Law enforcement established that the parcel contained a homemade bomb.
The sentences were handed down in absentia, and the women were put on the international wanted list.