MOSCOW, November 8 - RAPSI. Islam Khamzhuyev, a defendant in the case of the attempted bombing of the Sapsan high-speed train en route to St. Petersburg, has confessed that he was told to commit a terrorist attack, but said he refused to do so, defense attorney Absupyan Gaytayev told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) on Thursday.

The attorney said Khamzhuyev confessed during the interrogation that a Dagestani commander had told him to blow up the train, but added that he refused to do so because he was not ready to commit a terrorist attack. He also denied the charges against him of belonging to a criminal group.

However, Khamzhuyev pleaded guilty of storing ammunition and explosives.

Another defendant Mansur Umayev, who is also represented by Gaytayev, has completely denied his guilt. According to Gaytayev, Umayev did not know two of the four defendants.

The court will interrogate the two other defendants on Thursday.

The criminal case is heard behind closed doors by a three-judge panel, as the materials are classified.

On July 18, 2011, Federal Security Service (FSB) head Alexander Bortnikov reported to then-President Dmitry Medvedev that a major terrorist attack had been averted in the Moscow Oblast and four suspects had been detained. He said an explosive device, arms, and a map had been seized.

It later became known that they had planned to blow up the Sapsan train.

"Viktor Grin, the deputy prosecutor general, has approved the indictment in the criminal case against Islam Khamzhuyev, Fail Nevlyutov, Mansur Umayev and Mansur Edilbiyev," Prosecutor General's Office spokesperson Marina Gridneva said earlier.

The four individuals have been accused of attempting to commit acts of terrorism, as well as illegally acquiring, transferring, selling, transporting, and possessing arms and explosive devices.

Khamzhuyev, Umayev and Edilbiyev have also been charged with illegally manufacturing explosives.

Nevlyutov has been charged with taking part in an illegally armed enterprise. Khamzhuyev has also been accused of financing and participating in an illegally armed criminal enterprise.