04:18, 24 January 2026

The Cassation Court upheld the decision regarding the fire on Teatralny Spusk.

THIS MATERIAL (INFORMATION) WAS PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED BY THE FOREIGN AGENT MEMO LLC, OR CONCERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FOREIGN AGENT MEMO LLC.

Pavel Trunov, one of the power grid executives convicted in the case of the fire on Teatralny Spusk in Rostov-on-Don, was unable to appeal the verdict.

As reported by "Kavkazsky Uzel", on October 14, 2024, a court in Rostov-on-Don found Pavel Trunov guilty and sentenced him to two years and two months of restricted freedom, but released him from punishment due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. In March 2025, the appellate court dismissed the victim's appeal against Trunov's sentence.

Charges in the case of the fire on Teatralny Spusk were brought against Marina Belyaeva, former deputy head of the Proletarsky District; Pavel Trunov, head of the Vostochny RES, a branch of Rostov City Electric Networks, Donenergo; and Igor Bezzemelny, an employee of that company. In 2023, Belyaeva secured a dismissal of the criminal prosecution due to the expiration of the statute of limitations; Igor Bezzemelny died of cancer. Pavel Trunov maintained his innocence. Investigators refused to consider evidence of arson and based the criminal case on the theory of a short circuit, he stated in his closing statement.

The Fourth Cassation Court in Krasnodar upheld the lower courts' decisions in the criminal case regarding the fire on Teatralny Spusk in Rostov-on-Don, Donnews.ru reported on January 23, citing the court's press service.

Pavel Trunov and his lawyers appealed the Proletarsky District Court's decision on appeal and then on cassation. The defense insisted that guilt was not proven, rejected the theory of a short circuit, and questioned the accuracy of the damage estimates. The panel of judges of the Cassation Court, however, found no grounds for overturning or modifying the court decisions, and the cassation appeals were dismissed.

We have updated the apps for Android and IOS! We welcome criticism and development ideas both on Google Play/App Store and on KU's social media pages. You can follow us on Telegram without a VPN (with a VPN in Dagestan, Chechnya, and Ingushetia). Using a VPN, you can continue reading "Caucasian Knot" on the website as usual, and on social networks Facebook*, Instagram*, "VKontakte", "Odnoklassniki" and X. You can watch the "Caucasian Knot" video on YouTube. Send messages to +49 157 72317856 on WhatsApp*, to the same number on Telegram, or write to @Caucasian_Knot.

* Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/420192