Incident Report Summary

Damage Assessment

• 37 nearby houses were damaged, 25 of them seriously (window frames and glass were blown out by the blast wave).
• The supply of electricity, gas, and water was interrupted.
• A crater 3.5 meters deep and 13-15 meters in diameter formed at the site of the explosion.
• According to preliminary expert estimates, the power of the explosion corresponded to 1000 - 1500 kg in TNT equivalent.

Investigation Findings

The following was established during the investigation.

Vehicle and Owner Details

• The improvised explosive device was located in a GAZ-53 vehicle, manufactured in 1987, a van body with the inscription "MEBEL" [FURNITURE], state license plate Ts 3781 RP.
• The owner of the exploded vehicle is Iskenderov Abbaskuli Iskander-ogly, an Azerbaijani, native of the Azerbaijan SSR, born in 1944, registered in the city of Volgodonsk, 68 Koshevogo St., apt. 1, residing with his wife at 35 Oktyabrskoye Shosse, apt. 39.
• Iskenderov had consistently parked this vehicle at the entrance of building No. 35 for more than three years.

Events Leading to the Explosion

• During interrogations, Iskenderov testified that on September 13 of this year, at a truck parking lot under an overpass in the city of Volgodonsk, he met three persons of Caucasian nationality who arrived in the city in a KAMAZ truck loaded with potatoes for sale.
• In addition to the truck, these persons used a dark green Moskvich-Svyatogor car for transportation.
• The Caucasians bought his GAZ-53 vehicle, explaining that they needed it to distribute the more than 10 tons of potatoes they had brought to the city's markets.
• On the same day, the Caucasians handed him 300 US dollars and 2200 rubles of the agreed amount, and he handed the vehicle over to them.
• They agreed to finalize the sale and purchase transaction on September 16.
• On the same day, they placed the GAZ-53 vehicle on the territory of motorcade No. 2070, where explosives were loaded into the van body and an explosive device was installed, disguised with loose potatoes.
• On 15.09.99, having previously warned Iskenderov by phone, one of the Caucasians picked him up at home in the "Moskvich" and brought him to the motorcade.
• Ostensibly to save time, the Caucasian persuaded Iskenderov to park the vehicle at his house for the night, so that at about 7:00 AM on 16.09.99 they could transport the potatoes to the market, and then, after their sale, finalize the purchase and sale documents.
• Having paid Iskenderov 70 rubles as a reward, one of the Caucasians escorted him in the "Moskvich" car to the site and, having made sure that he parked it opposite the entrance, asked him to watch over it, after which he left.
• From the evening until two o'clock in the morning, Iskenderov's wife watched over the vehicle parked near the house, and after two o'clock, Iskenderov himself guarded the car while inside the cab.
• After five o'clock he felt cold and returned to the apartment.
• At 05:57 AM, the explosion occurred.

Conclusion

It was established that the terrorist act was committed by: