Analysis of Events at NII 'Roskonversvzryvtsentr'

The investigation revealed that the explosives, initially thought to be TNT and other explosives, were actually 6 tons of hexogen. Despite the initiation of a criminal case (No. 9271) regarding the illegal sale of explosives, the FSB and the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation took no action. Furthermore, they refused to investigate, even after repeated official appeals from the Ministry of Education, which held jurisdiction over the institute. The potentially catastrophic consequences of this inaction by the prosecutor's office and special services could have been foreseen.

We detail the events at the institute, which are socially significant and have documentary confirmation, yet remain outside the attention of the Prosecutor General's Office and the FSB of the Russian Federation. In addition to documents, we possess testimony from a leader of the NII (Research Institute), N. S. Chekulin, the former acting director of 'Roskonversvzryvtsentr'. He provided a detailed analysis of the institute's situation (see: N. S. Chekulin, 'Analysis of versions of the origin of explosives used in the bombings of residential buildings in 1999').

The Situation at NII 'Roskonversvzryvtsentr' Before and After the 1999 Terrorist Attacks

During a press conference on March 16, 2000, discussing the terrorist attacks, FSB General Zdanovich stated: "Were there thefts of these explosives from state factories where they are produced according to certain technologies? I can say right away — there were none, or, at least, we have no such data at the disposal of the investigation."

This statement seemed strange, given the regular flow of data received by the FSB.

Testimony of Nikita Chekulin

According to the testimony of Nikita Chekulin, the former acting director of NII 'Roskonversvzryvtsentr':

• Background: Nikita Sergeyevich Chekulin (born October 12, 1956) graduated from the Moscow Automechanical Institute and the All-Union Academy of Foreign Trade. He worked in foreign trade associations in Moscow, on a trade mission abroad, and in the central apparatus of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations of the USSR. For about ten years, he headed various enterprises within the RSFSR State Committee for Petroleum Products system.
• Roles at NII:
  • April 2000 to May 2001: Deputy Director of NII 'Roskonversvzryvtsentr' for foreign economic relations.
  • May 26, 2000: Acting Director and a member of the Ministry of Education commission tasked with reviewing the activities of NII director Yu. G. Shchukin.
• Current Status: Nikita Chekulin currently resides in London.

Nikita Chekulin claims that an entire system was established for the illegal trafficking of explosives within the country and their supply abroad, involving representatives of Russian special services and law enforcement agencies.

He asserts that:
* The direct supply of explosives was channeled through the existing agent network of the FSB, and critically, the MVD, which is legally responsible for monitoring the movement of explosives across Russia.

Allegations Regarding FSB and MVD Involvement

The former acting head of NII 'Roskonversvzryvtsentr' stated that as early as 1997, the FSB leadership assigned a task to MVD General Nelezin. Under his control in Moscow, a group of individuals, led by Shchukin (director of NII 'Roskonversvzryvtsentr'), was involved.

This group, operating under the guise of conducting research and development on ammunition disposal and the creation of industrial explosive materials, was engaged in:
* Illegal trade in explosives.
* Embezzlement of funds and explosives, including those used in warheads and solid fuels for surface-to-surface missiles.

Lieutenant General Nelezin headed the Economic Department of the MVD of the Russian Federation. He was then appointed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs for Logistics.