Russia's second-largest city was rocked by two explosions in February 2007: on February 4, a salesperson was injured in a blast at a flower stall during an anti-fascist demonstration, and on February 18, several people were injured in a blast at a McDonald's fast food restaurant in the center of the city.
Fyodor Kovalchuk was also found guilty of storing and producing explosives.
The second accused, Yevgeny Skorov, was given a suspended sentence of 7 years with a five-year probation period for the McDonald's blast. A third accused was given six years in a general-security prison for the stall explosion and for storing explosive devices. The fourth accused was acquitted.
Investigators say the men, all members of a Russian nationalist organization, carried out the explosions to frighten residents of the city and local authorities after becoming discontent with the authorities' policy on interethnic relations.
Police also said that the men had attacked McDonald's because they saw it as a symbol of Americanism. The blast came on the day before the start of Russian Lent, and investigators say that the attack was carried out on this date because the men considered it wrong for Russians to eat in foreign restaurants at this time.
