Ukrainian agent gets imprisoned over trying to jail Russian army pilots

(MENAFN) A Russian court has sentenced Yegor Semyonov to 27 years in prison for attempting to poison former graduates of a military aviation school, according to multiple reports. The Southern District Military Court found him guilty of treason and terrorism for the incident, which occurred in October 2023 in the city of Armavir.

Semyonov, originally from Ukraine, moved to Russia in 2018 and gained citizenship in 2022. Shortly thereafter, he began cooperating with Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), investigators said. Under instructions from his SBU handlers, he reportedly purchased over 100 bottles of alcohol and a large cake bearing the emblem of the Armavir Higher Military Aviation School. The items were sent to a reunion event attended by 77 people.

Guests noticed a strong chemical odor coming from the cake and refrained from eating it, prompting them to contact the Federal Security Service (FSB). Authorities quickly traced the delivery to Semyonov, who was arrested at a local airport while attempting to fly to Moscow. He had planned to flee to Egypt with his family, though investigators said he never received the 400,000 rubles promised by his handlers.

Semyonov confessed in court. Prosecutors had sought a life sentence and plan to appeal the verdict.

Russian officials have accused Ukrainian intelligence of orchestrating several similar plots involving toxic substances, including attempts to poison military personnel and volunteers. Moscow maintains that such incidents amount to acts of terrorism designed to undermine peace efforts.

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