The state prosecution requested three years in prison for Mikhail Pichugin. What is known

The prosecutor's office demands three years in a penal colony for Mikhail Pichugin, who was adrift at sea for 67 days. He is charged with violating the rules of operation of the vessel. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

The course of the trial

The Oktyabrsky District Court of Ulan-Ude held a debate on the case of Mikhail Pichugin. The state prosecution requested three years of imprisonment in a penal colony for the defendant under the article on violation of traffic safety rules and operation of marine transport, which resulted in the death of two persons. The prosecutor also proposed to impose a fine of 50 thousand rubles for the use of forged documents.

The defense insists on an acquittal under the main article. Lawyer Andrey Ashtuev said that according to the episode with the use of a forged document, the defense asks for a reduction in punishment. The court is expected to announce the final decision on April 14.

The circumstances of the tragedy

Pichugin partially admitted his guilt, noting that his brother and nephew died because of his actions. According to investigators, the man knew about the malfunction of the engine cooling system, but continued swimming. In addition, the vessel sailed into the open sea at a distance of more than 1.6 miles, which significantly exceeded the permitted limit for this type of catamaran.

Investigators found that when registering the boat "Baykat 470" Pichugin provided a fake purchase and sale agreement with false engine characteristics. As a result of the engine failure, the vessel lost control and found itself in an uncontrolled drift. The defendant publicly expressed remorse in the documentary.

"Natalia, if you're watching this documentary, please forgive me for not saving your son," Pichugin said.

The opinion of relatives

Mikhail Pichugin's mother, Nadezhda, on February 17, after a meeting of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Ulan-Ude, spoke out in support of her son, calling the incident a fatal combination of circumstances. She stressed that the man himself was seriously injured during a two-month drift. The woman hopes for a full justification, given the ordeal her son has endured.

The boat was discovered by fishermen in the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk on October 15, 2024, more than two months after its disappearance. Pichugin was the only survivor, and the bodies of his relatives were on board. After the rescue, the man underwent medical treatment in Magadan and returned to Buryatia. During the investigation, he admitted that the food on the ship ran out about 20 days after the start of the drift.

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