On Tuesday, a military court in Moscow sentenced two individuals to prison terms of 24 and 26 years after finding them guilty of attempting to assassinate a former Ukrainian intelligence officer through a bombing.
Vasily Prozorov, who previously worked for Ukraine’s SBU security service, sustained injuries in April 2024 when an explosive device concealed under his SUV detonated in Moscow.
The Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia reported that Vladimir Golovchenko, aged 42, and Ivan Paskar, aged 31, orchestrated the assassination attempt against Prozorov. Authorities have described them as part of “an organized group motivated by their opposition” to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Exiled Russian media outlets have identified Golovchenko as a dual citizen of Russia and Kyrgyzstan, who relocated to Ukraine in 2010 and secured residency there. It was reported that law enforcement in Kyrgyzstan arrested him in April and subsequently extradited him to Russia for trial.
Paskar has been recognized as a dual citizen of Russia and Moldova.
The Second Western District Military Court in Moscow found both Golovchenko and Paskar guilty on charges of terrorism, along with the illegal production and possession of explosives. Golovchenko received a prison sentence of 26 years, whereas Paskar was sentenced to 24 years.
Golovchenko reportedly admitted guilt during the trial, while Paskar dismissed the accusations as “baseless.”
A third individual involved in the case, Ukrainian citizen Rostislav Zhuravlev, was sentenced to 16 years in prison in August, and several other alleged co-conspirators are currently awaiting trial, according to prosecutors.
The Investigative Committee, which is Russia’s primary investigative authority, stated that Golovchenko, Paskar, and Zhuravlev monitored Prozorov’s movements in the days leading up to the bombing. It is alleged that Golovchenko placed the explosive device under Prozorov’s SUV on April 9, 2024, just three days prior to the explosion.
Investigators noted that the planning for the bombing plot dates back to February 2022, coinciding with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
