Former governor of Russia’s Kursk region detained over alleged fraud tied to border fortifications – JURIST

Former governor of Russia’s Kursk region detained over alleged fraud tied to border fortifications – JURIST


A Moscow court on Wednesday ordered former Kursk region governor Alexei Smirnov held in custody as authorities investigate “major fraud” allegations ahead of his June 15 trial, according to state news agency TASS. Smirnov and his first deputy, Alexei Dedov, are accused of allegedly embezzling 1 billion rubles ($12.17 million) from public funds intended for building fortifications along the border with Ukraine.

Smirnov, who took office in May 2024, faced criticism from President Vladimir Putin early on for poor crisis management. He was finally dismissed in December 2024. According to The Moscow Times, citing Telegram news channels linked to Russian law enforcement, Vladimir Lukin—the former CEO of the Kursk Region Development Corporation (JSC), who is also on trial—testified against Smirnov over the stolen public funds from the corporation.

The misuse of these funds had direct implications for Russia’s defensive posture along the western border. One of the most controversial projects under Smirnov’s administration involved the installation of Russia’s concrete anti-tank barriers, known as “dragon’s teeth” in Kursk. Ukrainian military sources claim some were secretly installed without any prior warning, resulting in the death of 40 Russian soldiers in a single day, with an equal number injured. While Russian military officials initially attempted to shift the responsibility to Ukrainian sabotage operations, reports indicate that the deaths were caused by the disorganized placement of defenses on public roads.

In early 2025, Russian media and military analysts reported that the old and poorly maintained barriers, along with the bad weather and weak infrastructure, slowed down Russian troops during assaults. Warmer temperatures melted the snow, turning fields into swamps and bomb craters into traps. Ukrainian forces exploited these conditions to effectively target Russian assault units attempting to maneuver around the “dragon’s teeth”—defenses that were intended to stop Ukraine, but instead became obstacles for Russian troops themselves.

Russian actor and writer Nikita Mikhalov said the massive attacks in Kursk could have been prevented if the border defenses planned back in 2022 had been completed on time. Instead, repeated delays—blamed on corruption—left gaps in Russia’s defenses. The case against Smirnov is far from the beginning, prosecutors are investigating three additional senior executives of  JSC in connection with the misappropiation of more than 156 million rubles, tied especifically to the mismanagement of the Dragon’s Teeth project. If convicted, Smirnov is expected to face 10 years in prison.



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