Yegor Semenov, 34, has been charged with high treason for allegedly trying to kill dozens of Russian airmen with poisoned whiskey and cake and could be jailed for life if he is convicted
A ‘poisoner’ who allegedly sought to wipe out dozens of Russian air force pilots by spiking their cake and Irish whiskey at an aviation school reunion is facing high treason and terrorism charges.
Yegor Semenov, 34, pictured, could be jailed for life if convicted at his upcoming trial in a military court. He was recruited by the Ukrainian military intelligence services to carry out the mass poisoning, allege Russian prosecutors.
Boxes of Jameson Irish Whiskey and a giant cake – both laced with deadly poison – were reportedly delivered to a reunion at Armavir Higher Military Aviation School. Almost 80 guests were at the celebration, including dozens of airmen involved in the war.
Semenov was detained last year after he was identified as the source of the spiking. He reportedly ordered the cake from a local confectioner and he is allegedly seen on footage buying bottles of whiskey.
As his charges of high treason and terrorism have been revealed, he has been pictured properly for the first time ahead of his trial at a military trial in Rostov-on-Don. While the 20 kilogram cake was cut, it was reportedly not eaten because a senior officer became suspicious over who had sent it.
CCTV footage and facial recognition led to Semenov, from Melitopol in occupied Ukraine, who carried a Russian passport but had been allegedly recruited by the Kyiv secret services.
An unconfirmed report said that the cake and whiskey had been heavily spiked with the medical drug cordiamine which could cause seizures, convulsions, cardiovascular stress and acute breathing problems.
Powerlifter Semenov, who worked installing video surveillance systems, was detained and confessed to the poisoning bid, said reports. “He immediately told everything – about the cake with a potent poison, which bottles were poisoned right away, and which ones he bought to top the present up,” said Fighterbomber Telegram channel.
“He explained how he knew the number of guests, and where the celebration would take place. Even the aviation school emblem, drawn on top of the cake, was the current emblem.”
The channel said: “By pure chance and thanks to the conscientiousness of the officers, who put the anonymous cake and the booze aside, no-one had time to eat the cake or taste the booze. It would have been a disaster. 77 guests. Semenov was detained at Stavropol airport as he intended to fly out of Russia, it was alleged.
