A military court in Moscow sentenced Yegor Grafov, a 26-year-old Russian-Israeli citizen, to 12 1/2 years in prison after convicting him of throwing two Molotov cocktails at the headquarters of Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, in Moscow’s Lubyanka Square in April 2025. The court also ordered Grafov on Friday to pay a fine of 1 million rubles, or about $12,300.
According to the ruling by the Second Western District Military Court, Grafov was convicted of a terrorist act and of damaging a building classified as a cultural heritage site. He will serve three years of his sentence under strict prison conditions.
Investigators found that Grafov, who worked as a metalworker and assembler at a Russian defense plant, threw two Molotov cocktails at the facade of the FSB building from Myasnitskaya Street on the night of April 23, 2025. The fire damaged architectural and structural parts of the building, its decorative granite cladding and part of the nearby sidewalk. He then fled the scene, but Russian security forces quickly located him at Moscow’s Vizavi hotel and arrested him.
During the court hearing, Grafov described himself as a 'patriot' and said he wanted to join the fighting in Russia’s 'special military operation' in Ukraine. He also expressed remorse, and the court noted that he actively cooperated with investigators, a factor taken into account in sentencing.
The defense presented an assessment by psychologists from Moscow’s Serbsky Institute, which said Grafov was under the influence of fraudsters at the time and was not fully aware of his actions, believing he was carrying out an act of 'social importance.' His lawyer, Igor Saevets, argued that Grafov had no intention of carrying out a terrorist attack.
Russian prosecutors had asked the court to sentence Grafov to 13 years in prison, including five years under strict prison conditions. Grafov’s defense lawyers said they would appeal the verdict.