Former Kursk Governor Alexei Smirnov Jailed 14 Years for Defrauding Government

A judge in the southwestern Kursk region on Monday sentenced former Governor Alexei Smirnov to 14 years in prison after he was found guilty of defrauding the government, making him the highest-ranking ex-official to have been jailed in a years-long corruption saga involving border defense construction projects. Smirnov, who served as governor between May and December 2024, was arrested on fraud charges last year along with his first deputy, Alexei Dedov. The two men were accused of embezzling public funds meant for defense fortifications along the border with Ukraine.