Chelyabinsk Ex-Deputy Mayor Killed in Ukraine While Under Bribery Investigation

The former deputy mayor and urban planning chief of Chelyabinsk, a city in southern Russia, has been reported killed in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to local media that cited a friend.

Sergei Reprintsev was under investigation for allegedly accepting bribes amounting to at least 10 million rubles (around $123,000) in exchange for expediting land-use permits for various streets in the city between 2017 and 2019.

Facing a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years, his attorney noted that the criminal case was put on hold after Reprintsev enlisted with the Defense Ministry and was sent to the front lines last spring.

His death was confirmed by family acquaintance Konstantin Golovin, as well as by the funeral home that is organizing his memorial service, set for Thursday, according to the news site 74.ru. The details surrounding the circumstances of his passing in Ukraine have not been disclosed.

Under Russian law, suspects and defendants who voluntarily join the military can have their legal cases suspended. Additionally, their criminal records may be cleared if they receive official commendations or are discharged due to age or injury.

Reprintsev resigned from his position as deputy mayor responsible for construction in mid-2019, and he later stepped down as chairman of the city’s architecture and construction committee in early 2020.

In 2022, he was given a suspended sentence of one and a half years for abuse of power, but the regional court later overturned this ruling and ordered a retrial.