Moscow arrests RailGallery admins over data access
The Dorgomilovsky court of Moscow arrested the administrators of the RailGallery website, featuring photographs of trains, Denis Yeskov and Anatoliy Nagornov, on criminal charges of improper interference with the critical information infrastructure of the Russian Federation with grave consequences (part 5 of article 274.1 of the Criminal Code).
Consensus
- Denis Yeskov and Anatoly Nagornov were arrested in Moscow on October 14.
- The arrest was confirmed by the press service of Moscow courts on October 16.
- The charges relate to unlawful access to data from a critical information infrastructure object in Russia.
- The data allegedly included commercial secrets and were copied and posted on the RailGallery website.
- RailGallery became inaccessible on October 15, 2023, and remained so.
- RailGallery was launched in 2022 after the closure of TrainPix, a Ukrainian-run railway photography site.
- TrainPix ceased operations after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and removed its archive.
- RailGallery restored about half of TrainPix's archive—approximately 150,000 photos—by August 2022.
- By the end of 2022, RailGallery had over 3,200 registered users who uploaded 194,000 photos, including 161,500 restored images.
- The site serves as both a photo gallery and a database on railway equipment history and operation.
Points of divergence
- The redaction of RailGallery stated they were shocked by the arrest and uncertain about the site's future operation. — novaya_eu
- The redaction of RailGallery emphasized that the site is not just a resource but part of daily life, a place for communication and community, and that the situation is causing widespread concern. — meduza
- The investigation into Putin's train was mentioned as a separate topic, noting that he increasingly uses a armored railway special train instead of presidential aircraft. — novaya_eu
Coverage (5 sources)
- Dorogomilovsky Court of Moscow sent two RailGallery site administrators to pretrial detention – photo gallery with images of trains from... — Радио Свобода
- RailGallery railway photo site administrators sent to pretrial detention. They are accused of publishing data, allegedly constituting... — SOTAvision
- In Moscow, administrators of the RailGallery photo site about trains were arrested. Images from it were used in an investigation into the armored train of Putin — ASTRA
- In Moscow, administrators of the RailGallery photo site about trains were arrested — Новая газета Европа
- In Moscow, administrators of popular train photo site RailGallery were arrested. They were accused of 'unlawful interference in critical infrastructure' — Meduza
Key entities
- Moscow
- RailGallery
- Denisya Yeskova
- Anatolya Nagornova
- Pre-trial detention center
- Dorogomilovsky Court
- Russia
- Dorogomilovsky District Court
- Putin
- Railroad Administrator