In a closed-door session today, a military court of Russia's Southern Military District stated that the group was charged with committing a terrorist attack, illegal storage and transportation of explosives, and participating in an organization that helped Ukraine orchestrate the Crimea Bridge bombing. Two of the defendants were also charged with smuggling explosives.

"All defendants were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment", the Russian military court announced.

The defendants at the military court in Rostov-on-Don, southern Russia, on 27/11. Video: Gazeta

All eight individuals maintained their innocence, claiming no knowledge of Ukraine's bombing plot. The two charged with smuggling explosives stated they were unaware of what they were transporting, but prosecutors argued they must have known.

The Crimea Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, spans 19 km across the strait between the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. Russia constructed it after annexing the Crimea peninsula. The bridge is considered a vital route connecting the peninsula to mainland Russia and a key supply line for Russian forces in the special military operation.

The defendants at the trial on 27/11. Photo: Reuters

Ukrainian intelligence officials previously declared that destroying the Crimea Bridge was "inevitable". The bridge was first attacked on 8/10/2022, by a bomb hidden in a truck, which killed five people and collapsed some bridge spans. Ukraine later admitted responsibility, stating the action aimed to disrupt Russian logistics.

Vasyl Malyuk, head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), stated in 2023 that explosives were concealed in metal pipes placed inside large rolls of plastic film. The SBU used other individuals in the attack, but deliberately kept them unaware of the true nature of the operation.

Black smoke covers a section of the Crimea Bridge after the 8/10/2022 bombing. Photo: AFP

A second attack in 7/2022, using Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels, collapsed several spans on the road section of the Crimea Bridge. However, the other road lane and the parallel railway bridge remained intact. Ukrainian military and intelligence forces have since attempted to attack the Crimea Bridge multiple times without success.

Huyen Le (According to RIA Novosti, Reuters)