Explosive Substance Reports: Hexogen and Related Materials

Initial Reports and Confusion (1999-2000)

• September 18, 1999: The newspaper "Kommersant," citing MUR, the FSB, and Minister Rushailo, reported the discovery of materials at 16/2 Borisovskie Prudy Street. The materials included:

  • 2 tons of hexogen mixture
  • 8 kg of plastid
  • 6 timers (Casio wristwatches)

• Ambiguity in Reports: Confusion arose even within consecutive reports regarding the presence of hexogen, specifically concerning:

  • The number of bags (43 vs. 38).
  • The designation of the substance found (ammonal or plastid), or if both were present simultaneously.

FSB Statements on Explosive Composition

• March 16, 2000: At a press conference, General Shagako, First Deputy Head of the Operational-Search Directorate of Department "T" of the FSB, stated that the compositions of explosive substances found in two locations were identical:

  • Basement on Borisovskie Prudy Street in Moscow.
  • A 'ZIL-130' vehicle in Buynaksk on September 4, 1999 (which did not explode).
  • The common composition included: ammonium nitrate, aluminum powder, and in some cases, hexogen additives or TNT additives.

• Contradictory Statements on Hexogen:

  • Despite the findings, representatives of the special services continued to speak.
  • March 20, 2000: General Zdanovich, head of the Public Relations Center (TsOS) of the FSB of the RF, publicly stated on NTV (aired March 24) that "hexogen was not used" in the bombings of residential buildings.

Evasion and Detailed Accounts (2000-2002)

• December 22, 2000: In an interview with "Moskovsky Komsomolets" (to Alexander Khinshtein), General Ivan Mironov, head of the operational-search directorate, deputy head of Department "T" of the FSB of the RF, was questioned about how hexogen was delivered to Moscow. While not protesting the term "hexogen," he avoided directly addressing it:

  • He detailed the production of explosive mixture in two sabotage-training camps in Chechnya (Serzhen-Yurt and Urus-Martan).
  • The components of the mixture included: ammonium nitrate, aluminum powder, and sugar.
  • Approximately 15 tons were produced; five were used, and ten were seized.
  • The explosives were transported to Kislovodsk and then delivered to Moscow in a heavy-duty van, distributed to addresses including Kashirskoye Highway and Guryanova Street.

• September 9, 2002: General Mironov, in an interview with "Rossiyskaya Gazeta," provided further details on the explosive composition:

  • He stated the composition was used in geological work.
  • The known ratios included: ammonium nitrate, aluminum powder, and ordinary technical oil (used as a binding agent).
  • Additionally, dry TNT was added, and plastid was necessarily used as a blast initiator to heat the main mass.
  • Regarding sugar, General Mironov noted: "At first we thought it was used only for conspiracy, to hide the transportation. But it turned out that it is an active..."

Summary of Key Personnel and Dates:

Key Entities and Materials:

• Primary Substances: Hexogen, Ammonium Nitrate, Aluminum Powder, Plastid, TNT.
• Secondary Components: Sugar, Technical Oil.
• Key Organizations: FSB, MUR, TsOS.
• Key Individuals: General Mironov, General Shagako, General Zdanovich, Minister Rushailo.
• Key Dates: September 18, 1999 (Initial Report), March 16, 2000 (Composition Confirmation), March 20, 2000 (Denial), December 22, 2000 (Route Details), September 9, 2002 (Final Composition Details).