Translated material
The court handed down verdicts in the case of attempted poisoning of Espanyola fighters
The First Western District Military Court issued verdicts in the case of preparing to poison fighters from a unit of the Russian military formation "Hispaniola".
22-year-old Nikita Krasilnikov received 16 years in prison, and 20-year-old Rinat Ilyin - 15 years.
The accused were charged with articles of participation in a terrorist organization, attempted terrorist attack and treason. Both will spend the first four years in prison, then they will be transferred to a maximum security colony.
According to investigators, Krasilnikov, Ilyin and the third defendant in the case, Artyom Shcherbakov, were recruited by the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) fighting on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and received money from Ukraine. The investigation claims that the accused planned to poison the food and send it as humanitarian aid to the Hispaniola fighters and residents of the self-proclaimed DPR.
According to the publication "Paper", Ilyin kept a bag of poison in the apartment, and Krasilnikov brought it from the warehouse.
Both convicts stated that they did not know about the assignments that Shcherbakov received from the RDK. They admitted the factual circumstances of the case, repented and asked for leniency. They also reported torture, beatings and pressure from security forces during the first interrogations.
Shcherbakov's case has been separated into separate proceedings. He admitted guilt, testified against Ilyin and Krasilnikov, and previously received 15 years in prison.
- The Russian Volunteer Corps is an armed force fighting on the side of Ukraine, but allegedly consisting exclusively of Russian citizens. According to the statements of the RDK fighters, their goal is “the liberation of their land from the Putin regime.” In Russia, the RDK is recognized as a terrorist organization.
- “Espaniola” is a formation organized by Russian football fans, including those with right-wing radical views. Initially, “Hispaniola” presented itself as a “volunteer unit”, then it was for some time integrated into the armed forces of the so-called “DPR”, after which it came under the control of the Redut PMC, controlled, according to an investigation by the Radio Liberty “Sistema” project, to the Main Directorate of the Russian General Staff. In October 2025, the Espanyol formation announced its dissolution, and two months later it became known about the death of its commander Stanislav Orlov with the call sign “Spaniard”.
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The court handed down verdicts in the case of attempted poisoning of Espanyola fighters