A resident of the Rostov region has been sentenced to a long term in a case of sabotage.

The court sentenced Yegor Retinsky to 18 years in a penal colony, finding him guilty of arson of a railway relay cabinet and a cellular communication tower in the Rostov region.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", in the southern regions of Russia, after the start of the military operation in Ukraine, there have been repeated incidents of arson of infrastructure facilities - in particular, relay cabinets on the railway and cellular communication towers. Investigators classify these incidents as sabotage and terrorism, and in courts, the accused receive long prison sentences. For example, in September, a court sentenced a native of Bashkortostan to 14 years in a penal colony for the arson of a relay cabinet on the railway in the Krasnodar region.

The Southern District Military Court issued a verdict against Yegor Retinsky, finding him guilty under part 2 of article 205.5 (participation in the activities of a terrorist organization), article 275 (treason), and two episodes of part 3 of article 30, paragraph "b" of part 2 of article 281 (attempted sabotage), the court's press service reported today.

According to the court, the man joined the banned terrorist organization "Legion of Freedom of Russia" and from June 16 to July 2, 2024, received an assignment to commit arson of a relay cabinet.

"On July 2, 2024, the defendant arrived at the location of the specified transport infrastructure facility in the Rostov region, after which he attempted to dismantle the door of the relay cabinet, but failing to achieve a result, Retinsky poured a flammable liquid on the relay cabinet, after which he ignited the relay cabinet with a lighter. At the same time, Retinsky filmed his actions, after which he fled," the publication on the court's page on "VKontakte" states.

Also, from August 1 to September 8, 2024, Retinsky received an assignment to set fire to a cellular communication tower in the village of Koksovy in the Belokalitvinsky district, the court's message indicates.

"On September 8, 2024, Retinsky arrived at the location of the specified cellular communication tower, poured a flammable liquid on the wiring at the base of the tower, after which he ignited the incendiary mixture with a lighter. At the same time, Retinsky filmed his actions, after which he fled," the court stated.

Retinsky was detained on May 8, 2025. "In accordance with the court's verdict, the defendant was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment in a strict regime correctional colony, with the first 3 years to be served in prison," the publication notes. The position of the defendant and his defense is not mentioned in it.

Arson cases have raised doubts among lawyers and human rights defenders

It should be noted that in criminal cases about arson, a typical formulation often appears: allegedly "unidentified persons" force people to film the arsons and then send them to the "customer." Such a narrative in a large number of criminal cases indicates that investigators have found a simple way to prove crimes, noted candidate of legal sciences Roman Melnychenko.

The investigators' versions regarding the motives for the arson of relay cabinets seem unconvincing, and such cases often have signs of fabrication, human rights defenders previously pointed out. The relay cabinet is an important part of the infrastructure, so the motive of sabotage cannot be ruled out, argued a former police officer.

At the same time, Kuban sentences in sabotage cases have become an example for courts in other regions. Thus, in April 2025, an appellate court doubled the sentences for teenagers from Novosibirsk in a case of sabotage on the railway, so that the final punishment corresponded to the sentences issued in Kuban for similar cases.

The teenagers tried to obtain a reduction of their sentences, while a prosecutor's representative demanded to equalize the punishments with sentences in similar cases in other regions - from 11 years of imprisonment. The parents of the teenagers are convinced that the case is fabricated.