04:23, 16 April 2026

The sentence in the case of the deaths at a pumping station in Volgograd has been increased.

The Volgograd Regional Court has increased the sentence for Dmitry Lebedev, former chief engineer of Water Supply Concessions, sentencing him to five years in a penal colony.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, at the end of March, the Volgograd Regional Court received the case of the former chief engineer of Water Supply Concessions, convicted in the deaths of six people at a pumping station. The verdict was appealed by both the prosecutor's office and lawyers.

In July 2024, an explosion occurred at Sewage Pumping Station No. 4 (KNS-4) in Volgograd, killing six people. According to investigators, before the explosion, while inspecting the station's premises, the shop foreman was poisoned by toxic gases and died on the spot. The next day, Chief Engineer Lebedev, recognizing the danger, assigned workers who did not have the appropriate qualifications and authorization to install ventilation equipment. During this work, an explosion occurred, resulting in the death of five more people. The damage from the destruction of the facility exceeded 27 million rubles. On February 2, the Krasnoarmeysky District Court of Volgograd sentenced Lebedev to 3.5 years of forced labor with a 10% deduction from his wages for the benefit of the state. The prosecution requested a sentence of 8.5 years in a penal colony, and the Volgograd prosecutor's office, considering the sentence excessively lenient, announced its intention to appeal it.

On April 15, the appeals trial in the case of Dmitry Lebedev, former chief engineer of Water Supply Concessions, concluded in Volgograd. According to the court, Lebedev, responsible for the operation of sewage pumping station No. 4 in the Krasnoarmeysky district of Volgograd, failed to ensure proper ventilation, which led to the accumulation of a toxic and explosive gas-air mixture in the building, the press service of the Volgograd region courts reported today on Telegram.

Due to a malfunction, one of the employees who arrived at the station for repairs was fatally poisoned. Lebedev then instructed workers who were not authorized to install an exhaust fan. The work was carried out in hazardous conditions, without monitoring the air composition.

During fan installation work on July 6, 2024, a gas-air mixture explosion occurred. As a result, five people who were at Pumping Station No. 4 at the time died: shift supervisor Yuri Zuyev, welder Vladimir Kuznetsov, mechanic Oleg Korolchenko, electrician Mikhail Khokhlov, and mechanic Alexander Shestopalov. The body of the last victim was discovered only on July 20, according to V1.ru.

Lebedev was charged with violating occupational safety requirements, resulting in the death of an individual through negligence (Part 2 of Article 143 of the Criminal Code) and violating safety regulations for construction or other work, resulting in the death of more than two individuals through negligence (Part 3 of Article 216 of the Criminal Code).

The appellate court, after reviewing the arguments of both the defense and the prosecution, increased Dmitry Lebedev's sentence. He was sentenced to five years in a penal colony and disqualified for three years from organizing and overseeing occupational safety and health, as well as from performing hazardous work in areas with hazardous or dangerous occupational factors. Lebedev himself pleaded not guilty to the crimes.

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/422485