Court proceedings against Aleksey Pichugin entered the new phase: witnesses invited by the defense began to give testimony. About 300 witnesses from Moscow, Nefteugansk, Tambov and other cities – employees of oil company „YUKOS“, representatives of the local authority, etc. will have to face the court. 

26 June 2006 former deputy head of information-analytical department of „YUKOS“ Anatoly Kaliman gave testimony.

In the session of 19 June 2006 circumstances of attempts on life of the executive officer of „Rosprom“ company Viktor Kolesov in 1998 and on life of the employee of Moscow mayor’s office Olga Kostina in 1999 were considered. Former inhabitants of Tambov Pavel Popov and Igor Korovnikov, presently serving their sentence in the institutions of confinement, spoke as witnesses for prosecution.

In the session held on 8 June 2006 the case papers were read as regards the murder of the mayor of Nefteugansk Vladimir Petuhov and the attempt on the life of entrepreneur Eugenie Ribin in 1999.

In the session held on 30 May 2006 consideration of the incident related to the murder of the mayor of Nefteugansk Vladimir Petuhov continued. Tatyana Shevtsova who worked as a chairman of the finance committee in the city administration at the time of the murder gave testimony as a witness for prosecution.

29 May 2006 in Moscow city court the consideration of criminal case of Aleksey Pichugin continued. Examination of the circumstances of the murder of Nefteugansk city mayor Vladimir Petuhov in June 1998 took the most part of the time. Moreover, Alexander Dobrovinsky — former lawyer of the entrepreneur Eugenie Ribin who was engaged in the suits of the businessman against „YUKOS“ in the arbitration tribunal gave testimony in the session.

At the session held on 22 May 2006 examination of witnesses for prosecution continued. Former adviser of „YUKOS“ Gennady Piskaryov, former security service employee of the oil company Michael Balushkin, and former colleagues of entrepreneur Eugenie Ribin made statements. The latter, let us remind, previously testified that in 1998 and 1999 his life was attempted twice.