Right-wing radicals detained in St. Petersburg

On February 3, 2010, in St. Petersburg, during investigative actions and operational search activities, non-working former members of Russian National Unity (RNE), members of the SS St. Petersburg "Varyag", 21-year-old Igor Gritskevich and Vladimir Smirnov, were detained. “holding nationalist views” , suspected of committing three explosions in December 2009 and January 2010 in the Kirovsky district of St. Petersburg in the places of residence and work of natives of Central Asia and the Caucasus.

During a search of the apartment, a bag containing 11 grams of an initiating explosive was seized from one of the detainees.

Earlier, the Main Internal Affairs Directorate for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region reported that the detainees were suspected of committing two explosions - the explosion of a device consisting of 60 grams of ammonium nitrate and a detonator on the slope of an apartment window on Novatorov Boulevard on December 12, 2009, and the explosion of a shellless device with a capacity of about 100 grams per TNT equivalent at the Repka store on Narodnogo Opolcheniya Avenue on December 18, 2009. Based on the calls, criminal cases were initiated under clause “a”, part 1, article 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (hooliganism committed with the use of a weapon).

On February 5, 2010, the Investigative Department for St. Petersburg reported that three criminal cases related to explosions in the Kirovsky district had been combined into one proceeding.

A preventive measure in the form of detention was chosen against the suspects. The issue of bringing charges against them is being decided.

Activities are being carried out aimed at verifying the available information about the commission by Gritskevich and Smirnov of other explosions in St. Petersburg, including the explosion on the Oktyabrskaya Railway on February 2, 2010.

On far-right sites it is mentioned that one of the detaineeswas involved in the case of the explosion of the former building of the “Slavic Community” in St. Petersburg.

Employees of the "E" center found the suspects by checking information posted on neo-Nazi sites on the Internet.

On January 25, 2009, two more 20-year-old students were detained, who, according to law enforcement officials, were members of the same group. The detainees are suspected of selling explosive devices to other criminal groups. During the searches of their apartments, a homemade pistol, an initiating explosive, brass knuckles, homemade knives, a “Hunter Signal” signal device, a drum from a homemade revolver and even 6 grams of marijuana were discovered and seized.

On the night of February 6, 2010 in St. Petersburg, criminal investigation officers detained members of the National Socialism - White Power group, 20-year-old resident of the Tyumen region Valentin Mumzhiev and 19-year-old St. Petersburg resident Georgy Timofeev, suspected of murdering Ghanaian citizen Solomon Gwadjo 25 December 2009 and involvement in the explosion at a bus stop on Zanevsky Prospekt in November 2009. They are also suspected of involvement in the explosion on the Oktyabrskaya Railway. During searches of their apartments, about two kilograms of ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder, used in the manufacture of explosives, were seized, as well as bladed weapons and extremist literature.

On February 11, 2010, the deputy head of the St. Petersburg Central Internal Affairs Directorate, Sergei Umnov, said that detainees Igor Gritskevich and Vladimir Smirnov were suspected of organizing the explosion on the railway on February 2 in St. Petersburg.

Sources

• Suspects of committing a number of explosions were detained in St. Petersburg // Official website of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. 2010. February 5.
• Suspects in two explosions were detained in St. Petersburg - Central Internal Affairs Directorate // RIA Novosti. 2010. February 5.
• The investigation considers those detained on suspicion of explosions in St. Petersburg to be nationalists // GZT.ru. 2010. February 5.
• Marakulin D. The Internet betrayed its own: The alleged bombers were found through their correspondence // Kommersant. 2010. February 8.
• Zeya N. Nationalists go to partisans // Gazeta.ru. 2010. February 9.
• RNE is suspected of the explosion at Oktyabrskaya Railway // Current comments. 2010. February 11.
• Explosive components were found among nationalists in St. Petersburg // ZAKS.Ru. 2010. February 13.