Man fined for sledgehammer attack on war memorial in Chelyabinsk
A memorial screen displaying photos of war dead was completely destroyed by a sledgehammer strike.
A 40-year-old resident of Asha, who smashed with a sledgehammer a memorial to those killed in the special military operation (SMO), was fined half a million rubles ($5,400 at current rates). The sentence took effect, and this was reported by the city court on Monday, January 26.
The suspect filmed himself destroying the memorial with an action camera during the incident.
The court found that in July of last year, the man went to Pilyutov Culture and Recreation Park with a sledgehammer and in a balaclava. He broke the glass on a screen displaying photographs of residents of the Ashinsky District killed in the SMO. He recorded the incident with an action camera.
«The court considered mitigating circumstances to include his full admission of guilt, voluntary compensation for damages, having a minor child, and his health condition,» clarified the court«s press service.
Recall that after the incident, investigators from the Investigative Committee (SK) opened a criminal case under Article 243.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on damaging military graves, as well as monuments, steles, obelisks, other memorial structures or objects commemorating those killed in defense of the Fatherland, which provides for a fine of up to three million rubles (approximately $32,400 at current rates), or forced labor for up to three years, or imprisonment for the same term.
