Ex-Governor Smirnov Confesses to Bribery in Major Border Defense Corruption Case

Alexei Smirnov, the former Governor of the Kursk region, has confessed to accepting bribes linked to construction projects for border defense, as reported by Russian state media on Thursday, citing sources from law enforcement.

Serving as governor until December 2024, Smirnov’s admission came during a plea agreement with investigators, according to sources mentioned by the TASS news agency. His former deputy, Alexei Dedov, is also facing charges in this case.

State prosecutors allege that the two men operated an «organized group» that misappropriated 1 billion rubles (approximately $11.7 million) from public funds designated for defense fortifications along the border of southwestern Russia with Ukraine. Investigators assert that Smirnov and Dedov received around 30 million rubles ($350,000) in kickbacks from contractors involved in the construction projects.

These allegations surfaced following an incursion by Ukrainian forces into the Kursk region in August 2024, shortly after Smirnov took office as governor. Despite the substantial financial investment from Moscow in strengthening border defenses, Ukrainian troops were able to occupy significant regions until the Russian military, bolstered by North Korean support, successfully expelled them earlier this year.

At least 11 officials and business leaders have been connected to related cases concerning border construction, according to Russian media reports. Former leaders of the Kursk Region Development Corporation informed investigators that they paid Smirnov and Dedov a 15% share of the contract value, as noted by the business newspaper Kommersant.

On Wednesday, a court in Moscow extended the pre-trial detention for both men until mid-December. Kommersant reported that prosecutors revealed new bribery allegations against Smirnov during the court proceedings.

Smirnov’s predecessor, Roman Starovoit, tragically took his own life outside Moscow in July amid reports that he was also being investigated in connection with the same corruption case. At the time of his death, Starovoit served as the Transportation Minister.