Man found guilty of trying to kill Russia army pilots with poisoned booze
According to Russian investigators, Yegor Semenov was recruited by the Ukrainian secret service and was promised about $5,000 for sending poisoned alcohol and cakes to a military pilots graduation party in Armavir, southern Russia.
Semenov, a 34-year-old dual national, was born in Ukraine and acquired Russian citizenship only in 2022, investigators said.
"The defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 27 years' imprisonment in a maximum security penal colony," the court said Tuesday.
The poison plot ultimately failed as the pilots grew suspicious of the package and sent it for an examination, which revealed a lethal dose of a medical drug in the cakes and the whisky and cognac bottles. A post on Telegram purported to show an image of a drug-laced cake.
Prosecutors requested a life sentence for Semenov, who was charged with state treason and terrorism, and will appeal the verdict.
Russia has been hit with a slew of killings of its servicemen behind the frontlines, including high-ranking generals, after launching its offensive in Ukraine, which entered its fourth year. Most recently, Russia has accused Kyiv of being behind the murder of senior Russian general Yaroslav Moskalik, who was killed in a car blast outside Moscow last week.
Ukraine normally does not comment on any covert operations inside Russia but in some cases Kyiv has claimed responsibility. These include the August 2022 car bombing of nationalist Darya Dugina and an explosion in a Saint Petersburg cafe in April 2023 that killed high-profile military correspondent Maxim Fomin, known as Vladlen Tatarsky.
In December 2023, Illia Kiva, a former pro-Moscow Ukrainian lawmaker who fled to Russia, was shot and killed near Moscow. The Ukrainian military intelligence lauded the killing, warning that other "traitors of Ukraine" would share the same fate.
Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian military's chemical weapons unit, was killed by a bomb planted in a scooter in Moscow in December. Ukrainian security sources told CBS News the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) killed Kirillov in a special operation.
After Kirillov's killing, Putin made a rare admission of failings by his powerful security agencies, saying: "We must not allow such very serious blunders to happen."
Kristi Noem says she's "very confident" undocumented migrants stole her purse
Supreme Court appears poised to side with student with disability in school discrimination case
Sneak peek: The Bathtub Murder of Kendy Howard
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
9 minutes ago
- New York Post
Harrowing photo shows teen killed in Russian strike on Ukraine — just hours before Zelensky's meeting with Trump
A 15-year-old boy has been killed and the rest of his family injured in a Russian airstrike on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, local officials said Monday. The teen and two others were wiped out in the shelling attack on the southeastern village of Novoyakovlivka on Sunday — just hours before President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were set to discuss a deal to end the deadly war. 3 A Russian airstrike on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed a 15-year-old boy and injured his family, local officials said Monday. Caitlin Doornbos Harrowing photos captured the boy's lifeless body lying on the ground in the wake of the deadly blast. His family's home was obliterated in the attack, according to officials. The boy's 12-year-old brother, 8-year-old sister and both his parents were all wounded, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said. Scores of others were also injured, he added. 3 Firefighters battle a fire in the aftermath of a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in a location given as Zaporizhzhia Region, Ukraine, on Aug. 17, 2025. via REUTERS 3 A damaged house stands in the aftermath of a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine. via REUTERS It came as Russia struck the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv late Sunday, killing three people — including an innocent 2-year-old boy — and wounding another 17. The spate of deadly attacks unfolded just as Trump was preparing to sit down with Zelensky and other European leaders at the White House Monday morning. The DC talks are expected to focus on a long-term deal to end the conflict rather than a cease-fire after Trump pivoted to a more permanent resolution. With Post wires
The Hill
9 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump signals move to Putin's corner as Zelensky heads to White House
President Trump has ditched his demand for Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine and appears ready to pressure Kyiv to cede territory to Moscow as part of a peace deal that also includes U.S. security guarantees. Trump's shift follows a meeting with Putin in Alaska, in which Trump touted progress toward a peace deal but offered no specifics. The president is set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House on Monday. Before his meeting with Putin, Trump said he would be angry if the Russian leader did not agree to a ceasefire in Anchorage, while European leaders who spoke to Trump prior to the summit said he agreed he would not negotiate territorial concessions with Putin. It seems the president changed his mind on both counts. After a call with Zelensky and European leaders on Saturday, Trump said in a social media post that 'it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.' There's no sign that Ukrainian or European officials are on board with the plan. This approach would violate one of the five principles that Ukraine and Europe laid out before the talks: that a ceasefire must be in place before formal peace talks begin. Zelensky said Monday's meeting would allow all sides 'to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war.' There are signs that Moscow is willing to lower some of its demands. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told ZDF television that Trump, on the call with European leaders, said Russia was prepared to negotiate based on the current 'line of contact,' or front line in the war, rather than the administrative boundary around four regions that it illegally annexed early in the war. And Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN's 'State of the Union' on Sunday that Putin had agreed to 'robust' security guarantees for Ukraine, which he called a 'game changer' in the negotiations. 'Everything is going to be about what the Ukrainians can live with, but assuming they could, we were able to win the following concession: that the United States could offer Article Five-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO,' Witkoff said. Article 5 of the NATO charter states that an attack on one member is an attack on all; effectively ensuring the U.S. will deploy its military to protect allies. Russia has drawn a red line on Ukraine joining the alliance, while Kyiv has insisted on U.S. security guarantees as part of a peace deal. Putin has also reportedly offered a written promise not to invade the rest of Ukraine or other neighboring countries in the future. Critics point out Putin has made a habit of violating such agreements. The biggest sticking point is likely to be what Trump has called 'land swaps,' though all of the land in question belongs to Ukraine. Zelensky has insisted that Ukraine's constitution bars him from ceding any territory, while arguing that a Ukrainian retreat from the Donbas – the eastern region claimed by Russia – would open the way for Russia to invade the rest of Ukraine, including Kyiv. 'We will never leave the Donbas' Zelensky told reporters Tuesday. Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, sought to temper expectations of an imminent peace deal in a Saturday post on X. 'President Trump's resolve to get a peace deal is vital,' she said. 'But the harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war anytime soon.' She suggested that Trump needed to do more to pressure Putin. 'The U.S. holds the power to force Russia to negotiate serious,' she said, adding, 'Moscow won't end the war until it realizes it can't continue.' Trump had shown increasing frustration with Putin in the months leading up to the Alaska summit, but since the meeting has not mentioned his threats of crippling sanctions mean to isolate Moscow from its key trading partners. Earlier this month, Trump announced new sanctions on India over its purchase of Russian oil, which are set to take effect in the coming weeks. While Republicans have expressed optimism that Trump's mediation is moving Russia and Ukraine closer to peace, some Democrats have said the president appears to be handing Putin what he wants with nothing in return. 'It was a failure,' Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said of Friday's summit, during an appearance on NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday. 'Trump said, if I don't get a cease fire, Putin is going to pay a price. And then he walked out of that meeting saying, I didn't get a cease fire, I didn't get a peace deal, and I'm not even considering sanctions,' Murphy said. 'Putin walks away from this photo op with zero commitments made and zero consequences. What a great day for Russia.'
The Hill
9 minutes ago
- The Hill
Live updates: Trump set to discuss Russia-Ukraine peace with Zelensky, European allies
President Trump will meet Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a high-stakes Oval Office meeting, three days after flying to Alaska to discuss peace with Russian President Vladimir Putin. European leaders will be at the White House to back up Zelensky, a clear effort by Ukraine's allies to prevent the meeting from going off the rails like the infamous one involving Zelensky, Trump and Vice President Vance in February. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday that the U.S. Trump and Putin agreed to 'robust' security guarantees, including 'effectively' offering Ukraine Article 5-like protection, during their historic Friday meeting. But many points of contention remain, Secretary of State Marco Rubio conceded Sunday. 'We made progress in the sense that we identified potential areas of agreement, but there remain some big areas of disagreement,' Rubio told ABC's Martha Raddatz. Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Sunday that authorities arrested 68 people overnight in Washington, D.C., amid a federal crackdown on crime that involves the National Guard patrolling the nation's capital along with a federalized the police force. Amid the crackdown, D.C. restaurants have taken a hit. Catch up here: Trump 'bela' post is new 'covfefe,' stirs Newsom into action Republican civil war erupts over earmarks in funding bills Democrats face challenge in countering Trump on crime Follow along all day for updates.
