Moscow, Jul 13 (IANS/RIA Novosti): A 21-year-old former military demolition expert from Russia's European exclave of Kaliningrad has been sentenced to three years in prison for attempting to blow up an under-construction mosque.

Investigators said that in November 2011 Anatoly Nasonov plotted to destroy the site to protest the construction of the mosque in his neighbourhood.

"During his military service, Nasonov was trained as a demolition expert. He knew that there were canisters filled with liquefied gas at the construction site and planned to blow them up with flammable reagents," the court said.

The convict failed to carry out his terrorist mission as he was arrested by federal security officers while trying to climb over the fence surrounding the site.

Nasonov was convicted on charges of attempted terrorism and pleaded partially guilty.

He was sentenced to three years at a general population correctional facility despite the prosecutors asking for a four-year high-security prison term.