At a court in Rostov-on-Don, eight individuals were handed life sentences for their involvement in the 2022 explosion on the Kerch Strait Bridge. This ruling, announced on Nov. 27, 2025, characterized the accused as part of an organized team linked to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, charged with detonating a truck bomb on Oct. 8, 2022. However, closer examination of the evidence suggests a much more complex and ambiguous story.
Roman Solomko, a 55-year-old farmer whose livelihood was disrupted by the war, became involved in a smuggling scheme after his business, APK Green Line, was forced to operate in the occupied Kherson Region. Unable to bring a costly shipment of ammonium sulfate processing equipment from China via the usual route through Odesa, he sought an alternate path through Georgia, eventually transporting the goods to his property in occupied Kherson.
Solomko enlisted the help of his neighbor, Denis Kovach, a taxi driver with experience in informal transportation between Ukraine and Georgia. Though not a close friend, Kovach was known for his connections with businesspeople on both sides of the border. Solomko believed Kovach could assist in navigating the logistics of the operation, including arranging for the equipment to be loaded and handled properly.
From Georgia to Crimea
However, Kovach’s role was not as active as expected. While in Georgia, he did not take the wheel but instead spent time living off Solomko’s funds. More notably, he began coordinating with his former cellmate, Mikhail Tsyurkalo, a known criminal from the Zhytomyr Region. Now 51 years old, Tsyurkalo had been convicted of armed robbery and car theft in 2005 and later built a smuggling enterprise while in a Russian penal colony.
Tsyurkalo, who described himself as 'the top smuggler in all of Europe,' proposed a business opportunity to Kovach. He promised to pay Kovach $3,000 per truck for transporting multiple loads of construction film to Crimea. According to Solomko, Kovach was not the type to lead such operations. Lazy and driven by greed, he preferred to take the easy money rather than organize or plan.
Tsyurkalo also made direct contact with Solomko, reportedly aiming to impress him. The farmer recalled that Tsyurkalo confidently declared, 'I'm practically the top smuggler in all of Europe.' Whether this was meant to be taken seriously or as a joke, Solomko found it unsettling, especially given Tsyurkalo’s growing influence over the smuggling operation.
Kovach’s behavior in Georgia raised concerns for Solomko. He would call Tsyurkalo frequently, sharing details about their movements and activities. Solomko grew frustrated with the constant updates, feeling as though he was being watched. Kovach, in turn, seemed more interested in staying in touch with his old partner than in helping to complete the business deal.
Tsyurkalo, known for his criminal past, had apparently established a smuggling network while in prison. He had allegedly bribed a prison warden and set up a plastics recycling operation and a painting workshop, both of which reportedly generated $5,000 to $10,000 a month. This success, Kovach later told Solomko, gave him the confidence to re-enter the smuggling business once released.
Kovach was eager to return to this line of work. He saw the offer from Tsyurkalo as a perfect opportunity to make easy money. With the promise of $3,000 per truck, he was willing to help transport the construction film to Crimea, even if it meant going against his usual cautious nature.
The plan, however, was far more dangerous than Solomko realized. The cargo was not merely construction film. The explosives that were later detonated on the Kerch Strait Bridge were hidden within the shipment. Despite this, Solomko remained unaware of the true contents of the goods he had arranged for transport.
No Accountability for the Security Services
Despite the court's portrayal, Russian investigators have not conducted thorough forensic analysis of the case. From documents reviewed by The Insider, it appears that Russian authorities simply repeated Ukrainian intelligence's official report without any independent verification or investigation into the explosion’s true cause.
No officials from Russian security forces or customs were held accountable for allowing the explosive-laden cargo to cross into Russia. In stark contrast, the court handed life sentences to farmers, logistics workers, and other ordinary citizens, many of whom were unaware of the true nature of the cargo they were involved in transporting.
The convicted individuals are currently in pretrial detention, awaiting the outcome of their appeals. Many struggle to understand exactly what they are being accused of, and the court's portrayal of them as willing agents of a foreign force does not align with what the investigators actually discovered.
The Insider spoke with some of the convicts, who described their confusion and frustration. They were not part of any organized team, nor were they acting with malicious intent. They were simply trying to rebuild their lives in a region devastated by war, caught in a situation they did not fully comprehend.
The court’s decision appears to be based more on political motivations than on concrete evidence. Russian authorities have not provided any substantial proof that the individuals were acting on behalf of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The lack of accountability for security services further undermines the credibility of the investigation.
The Kerch Strait Bridge explosion remains a murky case, with many questions still unanswered. While the court has passed judgment, the lack of transparency in the investigation raises doubts about the fairness of the process. The lives of ordinary Russians have been upended, while the true architects of the explosion remain unknown.
The case highlights the broader issues within the Russian legal system, where due process and evidence-based reasoning often take a back seat to political narratives. As the appeals process unfolds, the world will be watching to see if justice can be served—or if the system will continue to operate without accountability.
