Support The Moscow Times!

Arson Attack on Kiev Office of Judge in Russian Citizens Case

Russian citizens Alexander Alexandrov (R) and Yevgeny Yerofeyev who were detained on May 16 by Ukrainian forces, look on from a defendants' cage as they attend a court hearing in Kiev, Ukraine, Sept. 29, 2015. Valentyn Ogirenko / Reuters

The Kiev office of the judge hearing the case of Russian citizens Alexander Alexandrov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev was attacked by arsonists on Thursday night, the rusnovosti.ru news website reported Friday.

The fire started as a result of an arson attack by unknown assailants who threw Molotov cocktails at at the Goloseevskiy district court building in Kiev.

Police said that a group of youths climbed over the court fence at night and threw the explosives, one of which broke through a third floor window, rusnovosit.ru reported.

Documents in his office were not damaged, according to the judge, Ukrainian media reported.

Aleksandrov and Yerofeyev were arrested in May 2015 in eastern Ukraine and further legal proceedings against them were scheduled for April 8. Ukrainian authorities claimed that the pair were Russian Main Intelligence Directorate fighters and accused them of terrorism.

The Russian Defense Ministry said at the time that the two were not active service personnel.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more