2009 Nevsky Express bombing
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Nevsky Express bombing occurred on 27 November 2009 when a bomb exploded under a high speed train travelling between the Russia
n cities of Moscow
and Saint Petersburg
causing derailment
near the town of Bologoye
, Tver Oblast
(approximately 200 miles or 321.9 km from Moscow), on the Moscow–Saint Petersburg Railway. The derailment occurred at 21:34 local time (18:34 UTC). Russian officials had stated that 39 people were killed and 95 injured but later retracted the death toll, with 27 deaths reported as of December 2. A second bomb exploded at the scene of the investigation the following day, injuring one. It was reported to have been triggered by a remote mobile phone.
The first respondents were residents of Lykoshino
, a nearby village. A field hospital was set up to treat the wounded and at least 50 were hospitalised in Saint Petersburg. It is believed that, at the time of the derailment, the Nevsky Express
was carrying 661 passengers in 13 carriages, of which the last four were thought to have been affected by the incident. Although initial reports blamed an electrical fault for the derailment, investigation showed that the derailment may have been caused by an act of terrorism
; a crater was found in the ground near the crash site.
The government confirmed that the accident was caused by terrorists, making this attack Russia's deadliest outside the North Caucasus
region since the 2004 Russian aircraft bombings.
Russian media initially reported that the cause of the derailment was an electrical fault. However, witness reports of hearing a "loud bang", though another passenger told reporters in St Petersburg there had been no blast. Interfax news agency said a 3 foot (0.9144 m) crater had been found next to the railway track, though Reuters reporters at the scene did not see one. The discovery of a 1 m (3.3 ft) crater under the tracks altered the focus of the investigation as officials suspected that the incident might instead be the result of a terrorist attack. Later on 28 November, Alexander Bortnikov
, head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), reported to President Dmitry Medvedev
that the train was derailed by an explosion equivalent to 7 kg (15.4 lb) of TNT
.
Early investigation reports did not indicate consensus over the cause. While some reports indicated suspicion of terrorist-related activities, one law enforcement official said that the crater "must be just a pit someone dug out [or could have been] left by an explosive device". Some railway engineers additionally suggested that derailment may have been caused by one or several technical failures without any explosion involved.
Responsibility for the attack had first been claimed by far-right nationalists, then by the "Caucasian Mujahadeen" on orders from Dokka Umarov, who is considered to be "the leader of the Islamist insurgency
in the North Caucasus
." The attack was claimed to have been part of a series of attacks planned to Russian infrastructure. Vladimir Yakunin
, the head of Russian railways, noted similarities between this attack and the 2007 Nevsky Express bombing, though responsibility for the 2009 attack is yet to be confirmed. Chechen
President Ramzan Kadyrov
expressed doubts about Umarov's direct involvement, saying it may have been an attempt for him to "raise his standing in the eyes of his foreign backers".
Evidence linked to the train explosion was found during an investigation that took place following a raid on suspected rebels on 2-3 March 2010, in which close associate of Umarov, Said Buryatsky, along with 7 other suspects were killed. Additionally, according to Bortnikov, bomb material "identical" to what was used in the 2007 train attack had also been uncovered during the raid.
Notable deaths
Notable injuries
, and was apparently targeted at investigators, injuring Alexander Bastrykin
, the head of the Investigative Committee and highest-ranking government official to visit the scene.No deaths were reported.
was informed of the incident and ordered an investigation by the FSB, while the Emergency Situations Minister held a crisis meeting with the interior and Health Ministers. As per the Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev
, several leads have been pursued and criminal case was opened under Articles 205 (terrorism) and Article 22 (illegal possession or storage of weapons or explosives) of the Russian Criminal Code
. In a televised Q&A session on 3 December, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
also called for tough measures against the perpetrators of the bombing and reiterated terrorism still caused significant threats to the country. On 3 December, Russia's Transport police released sketches of four possible suspects one of which is believed to be a female. Russian Security Services allege these individuals had rented a house in the nearby village with a purpose of establishing train movement schedules for planning the attack and subsequently planted the explosives.
from the village of Ekazhevo in Ingushetia; 11 of them have the last name Kartoyev and are related; the 12th is Zelimkhan Aushev. The alleged leader of the terrorist cell was an Islamist preacher known as Said Abu Saad al-Buryatia or Sayid Buryatskiy (:ru:Саид Бурятский; born Aleksandr Tikhomirov). Sayid Buryatskiy was killed in a clash with police in March 2010. Final version of the indictment was filed on January 20, 2011, with 9 Kartoyevs and Aushev charged.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n cities of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
causing derailment
Derailment
A derailment is an accident on a railway or tramway in which a rail vehicle, or part or all of a train, leaves the tracks on which it is travelling, with consequent damage and in many cases injury and/or death....
near the town of Bologoye
Bologoye
Bologoye is a town and the administrative center of Bologovsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, as well as a major railway hub. It is located approximately half-way between Moscow and St. Petersburg on the railway route connecting the two cities. Population: The first mention of Bologoye in...
, Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was named Kalinin Oblast after Mikhail Kalinin. Population: Tver Oblast is an area of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno...
(approximately 200 miles or 321.9 km from Moscow), on the Moscow–Saint Petersburg Railway. The derailment occurred at 21:34 local time (18:34 UTC). Russian officials had stated that 39 people were killed and 95 injured but later retracted the death toll, with 27 deaths reported as of December 2. A second bomb exploded at the scene of the investigation the following day, injuring one. It was reported to have been triggered by a remote mobile phone.
The first respondents were residents of Lykoshino
Lykoshino
Lykoshino is a rural locality in Bologovsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, located on the Valdayka River, northwest of the town of Bologoye ....
, a nearby village. A field hospital was set up to treat the wounded and at least 50 were hospitalised in Saint Petersburg. It is believed that, at the time of the derailment, the Nevsky Express
Nevsky Express
The Nevsky Express is a Russian Railways express train, the fastest on the prominent route between the Leningradsky Rail Terminal in Moscow and the Moskovsky Rail Terminal in Saint Petersburg . The train has a maximum speed of 200 km/h and does not have any intermediate stations...
was carrying 661 passengers in 13 carriages, of which the last four were thought to have been affected by the incident. Although initial reports blamed an electrical fault for the derailment, investigation showed that the derailment may have been caused by an act of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
; a crater was found in the ground near the crash site.
The government confirmed that the accident was caused by terrorists, making this attack Russia's deadliest outside the North Caucasus
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
region since the 2004 Russian aircraft bombings.
Cause
About 44 minutes before the incident the high-speed train Sapsan was doing a trial run in the same area.Russian media initially reported that the cause of the derailment was an electrical fault. However, witness reports of hearing a "loud bang", though another passenger told reporters in St Petersburg there had been no blast. Interfax news agency said a 3 foot (0.9144 m) crater had been found next to the railway track, though Reuters reporters at the scene did not see one. The discovery of a 1 m (3.3 ft) crater under the tracks altered the focus of the investigation as officials suspected that the incident might instead be the result of a terrorist attack. Later on 28 November, Alexander Bortnikov
Alexander Bortnikov
Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov is a Russian official. He is Director of the FSB since May 12, 2008.-Career:In 1975–2004 he worked in KGB and its successors in Leningrad/Saint Petersburg. In June 2003 – March 2004 he was the Chief of the St...
, head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), reported to President Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
that the train was derailed by an explosion equivalent to 7 kg (15.4 lb) of TNT
TNT equivalent
TNT equivalent is a method of quantifying the energy released in explosions. The ton of TNT is a unit of energy equal to 4.184 gigajoules, which is approximately the amount of energy released in the detonation of one ton of TNT...
.
Early investigation reports did not indicate consensus over the cause. While some reports indicated suspicion of terrorist-related activities, one law enforcement official said that the crater "must be just a pit someone dug out [or could have been] left by an explosive device". Some railway engineers additionally suggested that derailment may have been caused by one or several technical failures without any explosion involved.
Responsibility for the attack had first been claimed by far-right nationalists, then by the "Caucasian Mujahadeen" on orders from Dokka Umarov, who is considered to be "the leader of the Islamist insurgency
2009 insurgency in the North Caucasus
The insurgency in the North Caucasus continues despite the official end of the decade-long Russian "counter-terrorist operation" in Chechnya on 15 April 2009...
in the North Caucasus
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
." The attack was claimed to have been part of a series of attacks planned to Russian infrastructure. Vladimir Yakunin
Vladimir Yakunin
Vladimir Ivanovich Yakunin is a Russian official, president of state-run Russian Railways company. Yakunin is a close ally of the former Russian president Vladimir Putin and is considered to be one of the members of his inner circle.-Biography:...
, the head of Russian railways, noted similarities between this attack and the 2007 Nevsky Express bombing, though responsibility for the 2009 attack is yet to be confirmed. Chechen
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
President Ramzan Kadyrov
Ramzan Kadyrov
Ramzan Akhmadovich Kadyrov is the President of Chechnya and a former Chechen rebel.Ramzan is a son of former Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov, assassinated in May 2004. In February 2007 Kadyrov replaced Alu Alkhanov as President, shortly after he had turned 30, which is the minimum age for the post...
expressed doubts about Umarov's direct involvement, saying it may have been an attempt for him to "raise his standing in the eyes of his foreign backers".
Evidence linked to the train explosion was found during an investigation that took place following a raid on suspected rebels on 2-3 March 2010, in which close associate of Umarov, Said Buryatsky, along with 7 other suspects were killed. Additionally, according to Bortnikov, bomb material "identical" to what was used in the 2007 train attack had also been uncovered during the raid.
Casualties
The high-end train was popular with government officials and Russian business executives.Notable deaths
- Boris Evstratikov – head of Rosreserve
- Sergei Tarasov – chairman of Rosavtodor, ex-representative of the St. Petersburg in the Federation Council of RussiaFederation Council of RussiaFederation Council of Russia ) is the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , according to the 1993 Constitution of the Russian Federation...
- Lyudmila Mukhina – deputy head of the Office of Science of Rosrybolovstvo
Notable injuries
- Dmitry Goin – deputy head of Rosreserve
- Alexander Poshivay – head of administration of Rosreserve
Second bomb
A second, weaker bomb exploded the next day, 28 November at 14:00 (11:00 UTC), near the site of the first blast. The bomb was detonated by remote controlRemote control
A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
, and was apparently targeted at investigators, injuring Alexander Bastrykin
Alexander Bastrykin
Alexander Ivanovich Bastrykin is a Russian official, Former First Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia,and former Chairman of The Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor General's Office...
, the head of the Investigative Committee and highest-ranking government official to visit the scene.No deaths were reported.
Response
President Dmitry MedvedevDmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
was informed of the incident and ordered an investigation by the FSB, while the Emergency Situations Minister held a crisis meeting with the interior and Health Ministers. As per the Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev
Rashid Nurgaliyev
Rashid Gumarovich Nurgaliyev is a Russian general and politician of the Tatars descent. Since 2002, he has been the minister of the Internal Affairs of Russia.-Early years:...
, several leads have been pursued and criminal case was opened under Articles 205 (terrorism) and Article 22 (illegal possession or storage of weapons or explosives) of the Russian Criminal Code
Russian Criminal Code
The Russian Criminal Code is the prime source of Law of the Russian Federation concerning criminal offences. The previous Criminal Code of the Russian Federation came into force on 1 January 1997. Moreover, on the 8 January President Yeltsin signed the Criminal Correctional Code to regulate the...
. In a televised Q&A session on 3 December, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
also called for tough measures against the perpetrators of the bombing and reiterated terrorism still caused significant threats to the country. On 3 December, Russia's Transport police released sketches of four possible suspects one of which is believed to be a female. Russian Security Services allege these individuals had rented a house in the nearby village with a purpose of establishing train movement schedules for planning the attack and subsequently planted the explosives.
Charges
On March 31, 2010, the official investigation resulted in charges of terrorism, participation in unlawful armed formations and illegal trafficking in explosives and ammunition against 12 ethnic IngushIngush people
The Ingush are a native ethnic group of the North Caucasus, mostly inhabiting the Russian republic of Ingushetia. They refer to themselves as Ghalghai . The Ingush are predominantly Sunni Muslims and speak the Ingush language...
from the village of Ekazhevo in Ingushetia; 11 of them have the last name Kartoyev and are related; the 12th is Zelimkhan Aushev. The alleged leader of the terrorist cell was an Islamist preacher known as Said Abu Saad al-Buryatia or Sayid Buryatskiy (:ru:Саид Бурятский; born Aleksandr Tikhomirov). Sayid Buryatskiy was killed in a clash with police in March 2010. Final version of the indictment was filed on January 20, 2011, with 9 Kartoyevs and Aushev charged.
See also
- 2007 Nevsky Express bombing (Malaya VisheraMalaya VisheraMalaya Vishera is a town and the administrative center of Malovishersky District of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. Population: The town's name originates from the river of the same name which flows into the Vishera River. It was founded in 1843, as the construction of the Moscow-Saint Petersburg Railway...
) - List of terrorist incidents involving railway systems
- List of Russian rail accidents
- Terrorism in RussiaTerrorism in RussiaTerrorism in Russia has a long history starting from the times of the Russian Empire. Terrorism, in the modern sense, means violence against civilians to achieve political or ideological objectives by creating fear...