Former Kursk Governor Confesses to Bribery in Major Defense Corruption Case

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

Smirnov, who held the governorship until December 2024, made this admission as part of a plea agreement with investigators, according to sources from the TASS news agency. His former deputy, Alexei Dedov, is also facing charges.

State prosecutors claim that the two men led an “organized group” that embezzled 1 billion rubles (approximately $11.7 million) in public funds designated for defense fortifications along Russia’s southwestern border with Ukraine. Investigators allege that Smirnov and Dedov received around 30 million rubles ($350,000) in bribes from contractors for the construction work.

These allegations surfaced following an incursion by Ukrainian forces into the Kursk region in August 2024, just a few months into Smirnov’s tenure. Despite Moscow investing billions of rubles in enhancing border defenses, Ukraine was able to seize significant territory before Russian troops, aided by North Korean forces, managed to reclaim it earlier this year.

At least 11 officials and business leaders have been implicated in related cases regarding border construction, according to reports from Russian media. Former executives of the Kursk Region Development Corporation stated to investigators that they had provided Smirnov and Dedov with a 15% kickback on contracts, as reported by the business newspaper Kommersant.

On Wednesday, a Moscow court has prolonged the pre-trial detention for both men until mid-December. During the hearing, Kommersant reported that prosecutors introduced new bribery charges against Smirnov.

Smirnov’s predecessor, Roman Starovoit, tragically took his own life outside Moscow in July amid reports of his involvement in a similar corruption investigation. At the time of his death, Starovoit was serving as the Minister of Transportation.