“Alexei Borisovich Smirnov is sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment, which will be served in a prison with a strict regime, together with a fine of 400 million rubles, with the deprivation of the right to hold positions in the civil service and local self-government bodies (…) for a period of ten years,” the TASS agency quoted from the court’s verdict.
Smirnov and his former deputy Alexey Dedov were arrested last April after being accused of being part of an organized group in the embezzlement of billions of rubles (about 260 million CZK) intended for the construction of fortifications on the border of the Western Russian region with Ukraine.
Moscow began building fortifications along the border shortly after February 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine. Before the foray into the Kursk Oblast in 2024, Ukrainian forces managed to invade the Belgorod Oblast several times.
Corrupt officials, according to the investigators, paid for shoddy work twice and also saved on concrete, so the anti-tank obstacles were not able to stop the Ukrainian armored personnel carriers.
Smirnov resigned from the post of governor in December 2024, when he was replaced by Alexandr Chinštejn.
