A Russian court sentenced to 23 years in prison of two men who were accused of wanting to sail into electrical infrastructure of nuclear plants on behalf of Ukraine, St. Petersburg authorities said in northwestern Russia today.

According to the court, Alexander Maistrouk and Edward Usatenko, whose nationality has not been clarified, were operating within a “sabotage group” of Ukrainian intelligence and targeted “more than 30 high -voltage pillars of high voltage. of Kalinin. “

“Defendants wanted to achieve the interruption of nuclear reactors and disturbing their operation nuclear stations to cause serious financial damage“Daria Lembedeva, a spokesman for the courts of Russia’s second most important city, told the Telegram.

The two men were accused of blasing a Nuclear Factory Tower in Leningrad, located near St. Petersburg, and that they placed explosive mechanisms under 11 other towers within these facilities and in Kalinin, located near the area. , further south.

They were found guilty of many categories, such as “sabotage” and “possession of explosives”, and each were sentenced to 23 years in prison, according to the same source.

The cases for “sabotage”, “espionage”, “betrayal” and “terrorism” have been increasing in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, with often heavy prison sentences.

The trials are most often held in the doors and few elements are made public.

Thousands of people were also punished, threatened or imprisoned because of their opposition to conflict, including simple statements or messages on social media.