Russia jails former Kursk governor in Ukraine incursion-linked graft probe
Al Jazeera
Alexei Smirnov found guilty of taking bribes from firms contracted to build fortifications along Ukraine border.
A Russian court has jailed the former governor of Kursk in a high-profile corruption case linked to Ukraine’s incursion into the border region.
Alexei Smirnov was sentenced on Monday to 14 years in a penal colony after being found guilty of failing to ensure strong fortifications along the border due to corruption.
Ukrainian troops captured large swathes of land in a surprise offensive launched in August 2024, encountering little resistance, due in part to substandard Russian defences.
The Kremlin then launched a crackdown targeting top regional and military officials over the failure to stop the incursion, which came two and a half years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to the verdict, the 52-year-old Smirnov – who pleaded guilty – had accepted bribes from construction firms contracted to build defensive fortifications.
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