Minsk Terrorist Was Drunken and Blew up All That Can be Blown up Since 2000

Accused of fulfillment of act of terrorism in the Minsk underground Dmitry Konovalov at the moment of explosion was under influence of alcohol, improvised explosive devices he blew up regularly since 2000, is stated in the decree about transfer of case to court which news agency RIA Novosti possesses.

"Explosion on April, 11th at 17.56 at metro station "Octyabrskay" Konovalov made being under influence of alcohol", - is stated in the decree.

As a result of this crime 15 people died and nearby 200 were wounded.

It's also stated in the document that Dmitry Konovalov and the second accused Vladislav Kovalev throughout several years blew up improvised explosive devices. Their first such device they blew up during the period from October till December, 2000 (exact date isn't mentioned). Then they blew up a bomb in the hall of one of the apartment houses in Vitebsk. The blast wave broke the window, damaged entrance door of one of the apartments. This act is qualified by investigation as "Hooliganism" (part 3, art. 339 of the Criminal Code of Belarus) and "Deliberate destruction or property damage" (part 2, art. 218 of the Criminal Code of Belarus).

According to investigation, Konovalov and Kovalev arranged similar explosion together with one more person - Rumyantsev S. Y. - in 2001 (one of the days from March to November) also in the hall of the apartment house. That time the blast wave destroyed a window frame and beat out glass. Approximately a year later - in summer of 2002 - Kovalev, Konovalov and Rumyantsev being drunk undermined one more device on a facade of a branch of children's library named after Jakub Kolas in Vitebsk.

The decree also contained information that in August, 2003 Konovalov blew up improvised explosive device on a footpath approximately in hundred meters from the apartment house. At that moment footpath was occupied by juvenile of 1989 year of birth. He received insignificant infringement of functioning of hearing organs (short-term devocalization)". This episode and two previous are qualified on part 2, art. 339 of the Criminal Code.

On July, 10th, 2004 Konovalov made attempt to commit arson of a booth of enterprise "Vitebskoblpechat" again using improvised explosive device. He placed it under the booth roof. He didn't have time to carry out explosion as he was noticed by the watchman. Accused escaped and the watchman informed militia about the bomb. Militia neutralized the device. This episode is qualified as "Criminal Attempt" (part 1, art. 14 and part 3, art. 339 of the Criminal Code).

Approximately a month later Konovalov blew up one more bomb in 500 meters from railway station Grishany (the Vitebsk region) on a site of the country road which passes along unexploited branch line. As a result a person passing nearby was deafened.

The same year on October, 3rd Konovalov blew up bomb in 800 meters from railway station Grishany, therefore the passer-by got thermal burns of corpus, hands and feet of the 1st-2nd degree. One more episode is dated on March, 27th, 2005. Then Konovalov fired a car in the yard of the apartment house.

On September, 14^th, 2005 at about 18.45 Konovalov blew up improvised explosive device near to a public transport stop "Ploschad Svobody" on a crossing of Lenin Street and Frunze Avenue in Vitebsk. Two people received easy physical injuries which entailed short-term frustration of health as a result of explosion. These actions of Konovalov are qualified as "Terrorism" (part 1, art. 289).

In few day, on September, 22nd at nearby 22.17 he made explosion near summer cafe on Lenin Street. It was situated across the road from Vitebsk town hall, that is in the very center of city where great number of people had rest at this time. About 50 people suffered then. This explosion became the first which received wide publicity. It's also qualified by investigation as act of terrorism.

Further Konovalov started committing crimes in Minsk. On the crossing of Pobediteley and Masherova Avenues on July, 4th, 2008 he blew up next device. 46 persons were hospitalized. More than 50 people asked for medical help in total.

For fulfillment of that act of terrorism Konovalov illegally from the beginning of summer 2005 to July, 3rd, 2008 got in Vitebsk from john does and from Kovalev not less than 375 gram of trotyl. He stored explosive in a cellar of one of houses in Vitebsk. During the period from September, 22nd to July, 3^rd, 2008 Konovalov produced not less than 700 gram of explosive TATP. Using it and trotyl accused created two improvised explosive devices "specially intended for causing physical injuries, destruction and property damage". He brought bombs to Minsk by train in the morning on July, 3rd, 2008 and stored them in one of the apartments approximately till 22.00.

From 22.00 of July, 3nd to 0.20 of July, 4^th he brought those improvised explosive devices to the territory of carrying out of celebratory actions near to the crossing of Pobediteley and Masherova Avenues. The first bomb Konovalov set ready and established approximately at 22.30 in a crowded place - on a lawn before the building of hotel "Planet". To blow up that device he failed for technical reasons.

The second bomb he placed and set ready on the lawn where there were a lot of people, near the crossing of the mentioned avenues approximately in 13 meters from sidewalk of Masherova Avenue and in 6 meters from sidewalk of Pobediteley Avenue from the side of house №39. At about 00.23 Konovalov made explosion. Episode is also qualified as act of terrorism.

From editorial board: Firstly - Konovalov is 25 years old, at the moment of the first explosion he was... fourteen! Certainly, even 14-year-old boy can make bomb but somehow it looks strange - so many explosions, so many people saw malefactor and having showpiece special services they failed to catch him? For so many years they were fooled by ordinary boy?

By responses of colleagues Konovalov didn't drink and didn't smoke. Certainly, it is possible to assume that going on to do such thing he could drink so to keep his spirits up. Though if to trust the Belorussian special services we deal with the most experienced terrorist-fireman who committed not less than 13 acts of terrorism and 11 years of experience! Well-known Carlos the Jackal, probably, chokes with envy.

The weakest spot of charge - absence of distinct motives. Thus Konovalov never seemed mentally unhealthy to anybody, so such explanation of bloodthirstiness of the young man doesn't stand up to scrutiny. At that politically time and place of explosion is chosen obviously not casually. There couldn't be such coincidences.

Probably, they decided in Minsk that the crime in metro should look like this - unclear and even irrational. Is it better, than to tell truth? Yes, we have already got used to irrational Belorussian sentences, irrational Belorussian political strategies. We understand that behind very practical and even cunning people are behind it all. A lot of things in Belarus are very sensibly and intelligently arranged. Likely they decided that irrational Belorussian terrorism will look better, than... Than what, by the way?

А.B.

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