Investigation into Explosives Trafficking and Government Involvement

Operative Identification

• "Kotov" was revealed to be an operative of the 9th department of GUBOP, whose real surname was Shchavinsky.

Events in 2000

• September 2000: Nikita Chekulin, the former acting director of "Roskonversvzryvtsentr," gave testimony at the Investigative Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
  • The testimony took place in the presence of investigator Vazhdalov and operative Vasiliev.
  • Evidence presented included fake invoices bearing the forged signatures of Chekulin and the accountant, concerning the shipment of 16 tons of ballistite charges from the Chapaevsk Experimental Plant to the Uchalinsky GOK in the Republic of Bashkortostan.
  • It was evident to the investigators that the fabrication of a criminal case against Chekulin was obvious.
• December 2000: The leadership of the FSB of the Russian Federation terminated operational-search activities regarding the situation at the NII "Roskonversvzryvtsentr."
  • Colonel Dupuy, head of the department of Directorate "T" of the FSB of the Russian Federation, was informed that the case was not promising.
  • The officer who interacted with Nikita Chekulin was sent on a mission to Chechnya.
  • A year later, upon returning from this mission, the officer reported to Chekulin that the materials concerning the NII had vanished from his safe.
• Subsequent Actions:
  • Investigator Vazhdalov and his group, who had gathered substantial factual material on the state of affairs at the NII "Roskonversvzryvtsentr" and the trade in explosives, were removed from the investigation.
  • By March 2001, the criminal case was closed.

Seeking External Help

• Having exhausted all possibilities for an objective investigation within Russia, and recognizing that even the Minister of Education (a member of the Russian government) could not ensure a comprehensive investigation, Nikita Chekulin sought assistance from Boris Berezovsky in London.
• The goal was to prevent the topic of the institute and the associated problem of explosive circulation from being permanently buried through a public address abroad.

Press Conference in London (March 5, 2002)

On March 5, 2002, in London, Nikita Chekulin participated in a press conference for the film "Assassination of Russia" and stated the following:

• Self-Identification: Nikita Chekulin, former acting Director of the NII "Roskonversvzryvtsentr," was recruited by the FSB in 2000 as a secret agent of Department "T" (counter-terrorism).
• Evidence of Conspiracy: He possesses documentary evidence of a secret scheme involving:
  • The theft of explosives from military warehouses.
  • The participation of high-ranking officials of the Russian government in concealing facts and obstructing the investigation.
• Explosive Procurement:
  • Documents from the NII "Roskonversvzryvtsentr" (Ministry of Education of Russia, located at Bolshaya Lubyanka, house 18, building 3) show that significant quantities of hexogen were purchased between 1999-2000.
  • The sources of the explosives included Military Unit No. 68586 and No. 92919.
  • Tons of this material, falsely labeled as gunpowder and TNT, were shipped via the institute's powers of attorney to various regional institutions.
• Internal Investigation and Obstruction:
  • An internal investigation within the Ministry of Education led to an appeal by Minister Vladimir Filippov to the highest Russian officials, requesting an investigation involving the FSB.
  • Officials informed of the potential terrorist activity included:
    • Deputy Prime Ministers: Valentina Matviyenko and Ilya Klebanov.
    • FSB Director: Nikolai Patrushev.
    • Minister of Internal Affairs: Vladimir Rushailo.
    • Security Council Secretary: Sergei Ivanov.
  • However, Mr. Patrushev banned the investigation, a decision officially notified to the Ministry of Education by his deputy, Yuri Zaostrovtsev.