Former Kursk Region Governor Alexey Smirnov was arrested over embezzlement of more than a billion rubles (about $11 million) meant for building defenses on the border with Ukraine, according to the official Telegram channel of the Moscow City Courts.
Multiple Russian media, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that Smirnov was detained on April 15 in a luxury penthouse in Krasnogorsk, a city just outside Moscow, and transported to the capital.
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A Moscow court ordered his arrest the following day. He is to remain in custody until at least June 15. His lawyers asked for house arrest, citing health concerns, but the court denied the request. The defense said it plans to appeal.
Also detained was Alexey Dedov, the former first deputy governor of Kursk. He was taken from Kursk to Moscow, and a court is expected to decide on pretrial measures for him on April 17.
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According to Irina Volk, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, both men are accused of leading an organized scheme to steal government funds intended for the construction of defensive structures along the border with Ukraine.
The alleged fraud involved the Kursk Region Development Corporation, which served as a general contractor for the project.
Investigators say low-quality materials were used to build concrete “dragon’s teeth,” barriers intended to stop tanks, as well as overpayment of contracts and unfinished construction. As a result, the obstacles failed to work properly.
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Both of the accused have pleaded not guilty, with Smirnov declining to testify, saying he needs more time to review the charges.
Three former executives from the Kursk Region Development Corporation – Vladimir Lukin, Igor Grabin, and Snezhana Martyanova – have also been arrested. Authorities allege that participating contractors were required to pay kickbacks of at least 15% of the state contract values to be chosen.
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A source told local media that the scheme may have involved embezzlement of up to 4.5 billion rubles ($50 million). The federal government had allocated about 19.4 billion rubles ($217 million) for border defense construction.
The case originated after inspections revealed the poor quality of the defensive infrastructure. Legal proceedings are ongoing, and several suspects are reportedly cooperating with investigators.
Smirnov served as acting governor after the departure of Roman Starovoit in May 2024. He was officially elected governor in September with over 65% of the vote, but resigned in December, just 88 days later. His resignation was accepted by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Smirnov’s departure triggered a wave of resignations from his administration, including that of Dedov.
The new regional governor, Alexander Khinshtein, has criticized the development corporation, calling it a “plundering corporation,” and pledged to support the ongoing investigation.
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