Former Vladivostok Mayor Cleared of Bribery Charges After Military Service and State Award

The former mayor of Vladivostok, Oleg Gumenyuk, had his 12-year prison sentence for bribery overturned after he received a state honor while serving in the Russian military, as reported by the Primorye regional court system on Wednesday.

Gumenyuk held the mayoral position in the Far Eastern port city from 2018 to 2021 and was convicted in 2023 for taking a bribe worth millions of rubles, a claim he has consistently denied.

In 2024, he enlisted in the Russian army under legislation that permits convicts to defer or annul their sentences by completing military service or being awarded certain state decorations. This initiative, introduced by President Vladimir Putin, is aimed at increasing the number of soldiers participating in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The Primorye court system noted that the regional bailiff’s office ceased enforcing Gumenyuk’s sentence on July 29, 2025, following his receipt of the Order of St. George via a presidential decree.

According to the court, Putin’s decree enabled Gumenyuk to be “fully pardoned from serving his sentence” effective from the date of the award.

Additionally, a court in Vladivostok lifted the seizure of Gumenyuk’s properties and vehicles on Monday.

His attorney, Alexander Kitayev, informed the business newspaper Kommersant that Gumenyuk had served in a military unit for convicts, sustained injuries, and has since recovered. Kitayev indicated that while Gumenyuk continues to serve in the military, he no longer operates within that specific unit.