Former Governor of Kursk Arrested on Fraud Charges

The official Russian news agency TASS reported on Wednesday that the former governor of Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Alexey Smirnov, was detained in connection with the theft of funds designated for improving defenses along Russia’s border with Ukraine.

Smirnov was appointed governor of Kursk in May by President Vladimir Putin and held the position in August, when Ukrainian forces stormed the border and quickly occupied the Sudzha district of Kursk.

The former governor came under immediate criticism from both civilians and the military for what was seen as a lack of preparedness in defending one of Russia’s most vulnerable border regions. Smirnov resigned under pressure in December.

He was implicated by one of his top aides, Vladimir Lukin, the former head of the Kursk Regional Development Corporation, who alleged that Smirnov had embezzled nearly $2 million out of the approximately $160 million allocated by the Russian government for border defenses.

Lukin was detained on similar charges in December, around the same time Smirnov stepped down.

The scheme allegedly involved funneling money to fake companies, which were awarded fraudulent contracts. Once they defaulted, both the companies and the money vanished.

Since securing another six-year term last year, President Vladimir Putin has overseen a broad anti-corruption campaign that has led to the arrest of numerous military and political officials across Russia.

Last April, one of Russia’s Deputy Defense Ministers, Timur Ivanov—who headed the Ministry’s Personnel Directorate—was arrested on bribery charges.

His arrest was followed by the detention of two other senior military officials, including the deputy chief of the Russian military general staff, Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, who was taken into custody shortly afterward.