The "sleeping" agent "Mikhalych" was sentenced to 7 years in prison for planning a sabotage in the area near Ochakov.

The "sleeping" agent "Mikhalych" received a 7-year prison sentence for preparing a sabotage operation near Ochakov.

The pensioner, who assisted Russian special services in planning a sabotage operation - the landing of an enemy assault near Ochakov and the destruction of a dam - was sentenced to 7 years in prison with property confiscation.

This information was reported in the verdict of the Ochakov city district court.

It is important to note that this concerns Mikhail Shadrin, codename "Mikhalych." He was a "sleeping agent" recruited back in 1989. In December 2021, he was tasked with using a drone to survey the coastline near Ochakov and the dam blocking the mouth of the Berezany River, which he carried out. He also kept notes in a notebook, recording comments on the videos he shot, as well as details about road conditions, distances, technical specifications of the dam, the presence of hydraulic structures on it, approximate depths around it, and suitable terrain features - ravines between the Berezansky Liman spit and the village of Osetrovka for the subsequent establishment of "hideouts." In one of these hideouts, law enforcement discovered 8 anti-tank mines, 11 TNT blocks, and two detonators.

Additionally, the court reviewed a segment from the TSN channel that aired in May 2022. In the segment, "Mikhalych" recounted how he was recruited, explaining that 25 years later, a man and a woman visited him, reminded him of the signed documents, and tasked him with filming the coastline near Ochakov and the dam blocking the mouth of the Berezany River. He was also searching for a location for the saboteurs - a house near the beach where an assault could land. Meanwhile, Shadrin claimed that he was being blackmailed with the fact that his daughter and granddaughter lived in Russia, stating "that they are fine, but it could turn bad." At the end of the segment, he expressed remorse for his actions.

In court, the man did not admit his guilt, stating that he was filming dachas for sale with the drone and was ensuring that no thefts occurred. He claimed that the people who supposedly came to recruit him were fictitious. He also asserted that he was allegedly tortured and beaten, and threatened, which led him to confess. However, he did not mention this to either his lawyer or law enforcement. No witnesses during investigative experiments noted any signs of beating or poor health of the suspect.

Shadrin was born in Russia to a military family, with a retired colonel as a father. He graduated from the Gorky Military School and served in the Moscow region. In 1989, Shadrin was discharged from military service, allegedly "due to discrimination." However, the accused's mother stated that her son left the army due to low pay, was engaged in business, and there were family scandals that led to his wife kicking him out of the house. In 2014, Shadrin moved to Lviv, Ukraine, where his parents lived, and obtained a permanent residence permit. In 2018, he relocated to Osetrovka in the Mykolaiv region - to his parents' dacha. He worked in Ochakov at "Nova Poshta" and later as a security guard at the "Golden Age" store, and since 2019, he had been the chairman of the "Prostor" gardening society.

The court examined the contents of the suspect's phone. On Telegram, Shadrin was subscribed to pro-Russian channels. He also corresponded with relatives and acquaintances who did not always share his views. "If the Nazis, in a fit of impotent rage, do something... Everything will be fine," "Maybe they'll blow up the dam... Fish will appear in the liman," the accused wrote.

He also confirmed that he communicated with his daughter living in Russia, referring to Ukrainians as "Bandera" and "Nazis," but claimed he did not know the meaning of these words. In court, he asserted that he loved Ukraine.

Ultimately, the court sentenced Shadrin to 7 years of imprisonment with property confiscation, as the sabotage was not carried out, but preparations for it were underway.