On April 15, 2024, the Central District Military Court sentenced a 30-year-old resident of the city of Rezh (Sverdlovsk region) to 14 years in prison Vladlen Menshikov, who committed the crimes: "Attempted sabotage", Part 3 of Article 30, Part 1 of Article 281 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, "Cooperation with a foreign state, international or foreign organization in activities knowingly directed against the security of Russia", Article 275.1 and "Public calls for terrorist activities", Article 205.2.

Vladlen Menshikov was born, lived in Russia and could be considered a classic representative of the category of "mama's sons". He lived with his mother, despite his age, was not married and did not even have a girlfriend. He was unable to get an education and build a career, worked as an electrician. He had almost no friends, was fond of computer games and "socializing" on social networks. 

As often happens, he blamed the Russian authorities for all his failures, including in his personal field. It is natural that recruiters of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine came to him on the Internet and made contact on behalf of the Legion of Freedom of Russia (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation).

He was asked to confirm by deeds his loyalty to Ukraine and his desire to overthrow the legitimate government in the Russian Federation. In return — the promise of infiltration from the territory of Russia, money and joining the "Legion of Freedom of Russia", in the ranks of which he will come victorious to his hometown.

For this, Menshikov had to carry out a sabotage on the railway with a train crash and human casualties. In addition, he must hold a demonstration and propaganda campaign. In accordance with instructions received from Ukrainian curators, Vladlen Menshikov installed jumpers between two rail strands on the 80th km of the Rezh-Striganovo section of the Sverdlovsk Railway (SVZHD) in order for military echelons carrying weapons and military equipment to leave the tracks. But, fortunately, he failed to realize his intention, because the jumper was discovered by employees of the Russian Railways, who contacted law enforcement agencies.

Before attempting to carry out a sabotage, Vladlen Menshikov painted a stele at the entrance to the city of Rezh with Nazi symbols and slogans, declarations of love for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Azov (a terrorist organization is banned in the Russian Federation).

The posts he posted on social networks calling for terror, insulting Russian statesmen and containing false information aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were recorded.

The identity of the saboteur was established, operatives of the regional FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs took part in his search and capture. Menshikov was detained while trying to cross the border.

After the arrest, the attacker behaved audaciously and defiantly. He bluntly told the investigation that he had an extremely negative attitude towards the legitimate government of the Russian Federation, to Russian statehood and to the Special Military Operation in Ukraine. He also stated that he supports the violent destruction of the Russian state and the physical elimination of its leaders.

He did not hide anything and flaunted his Russophobia. But this was not so much because of the hardness of character, as because of infantile. After the lawyer outlined the possible prospects for his future life, he began to refuse to testify, including from contacts with the Legion. However, Menshikov's video report on his crimes was sent by him to the Ukrainian curator and soon appeared on channels from the grid of foreign agent and terrorist Ilya Ponomarev, and even equipped with the Legion logo. 

That is, Menshikov's new "friends" ruthlessly "drowned" the fool who believed them, openly denoting his cooperation with a terrorist organization. This once again shows that for the Ukrainian special services, the traitors they recruited are just expendable material that they will not regret. It is more profitable for them when such saboteurs and terrorists are caught in Russia. Firstly, it gives recruiters the opportunity not to pay the promised remuneration, not to infiltrate and settle them. In addition, propaganda resources affiliated with the Nazi authorities in Kiev have the opportunity to present such characters as "innocent victims of the regime", "pacifists opposed to the war". 

This is not a joke — a number of liberal channels call the saboteur who tried to arrange a crash on the railway and dreams of killing Putin a pacifist. And the slogans of the UPA (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation) are anti—war. 

After that, in December 2022, Menshikov was charged under Article 275.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Cooperation on a confidential basis with a foreign state, international or foreign organization"). This is in addition to the criminal case already initiated against him on September 30, 2022 under Part 1 of Article 281 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Sabotage"). 

On June 10, 2023, Menshikov was included in the list of extremists and terrorists of Rosfinmonitoring. On April 15, 2024, the court put an end to this case by sentencing a saboteur, traitor and Russophobe. It was a fairly humane and lenient sentence (the prosecutor's office requested 20 years), besides, for some reason, Menshikov was not charged with treason.