MOSCOW, May 21 (RAPSI) – The Military Collegium of the Russian Supreme Court on Friday upheld sentence passed on ex-defense minister of Ukraine Anatoly Gritsenko for calls through media to blast Russian trains and cars in absentia, RAPSI was told in the court.

The Second Western Military Court earlier sentenced Gritsenko to 6 years in prison for terrorist calls in absentia. Additionally, the defendant was prohibited from managing the affairs and business for 3 years.

Investigation into the case was competed in late 2019.

The former Ukrainian official was charged with publicly calling for terrorist activity with the use of mass media.

According to investigators, in July 2014 and July 2017, when going on the air in programs on the Ukrainian TV Gritsenko called for car bomb attacks in Moscow and Taganrog and exploding Russian trains in regions near the border with Ukraine. The linguistic examination of the video showed that his statements contained pleas for conducting terrorist activities.

He was put on the international wanted list and arrested in absentia in April 2019. Currently, Gritsenko is still hiding in Ukraine from where he cannot be extradited in accordance with the international law provisions and Ukrainian national legislation, Russian investigators state.