A Moscow court has ordered pre-trial detention for the acting deputy governor of the Kursk region, Vladimir Bazarov, due to accusations of fraud related to border fortifications in the adjacent Belgorod region, as reported by state media on Wednesday.
Alexander Khinshtein, the acting governor of Kursk, confirmed Bazarov’s arrest earlier this week, explaining that it stems from Bazarov’s previous role as Belgorod’s deputy governor for construction projects.
Investigators claim that Bazarov was involved in swindling approximately 251 million rubles ($3.1 million) in state funds by manipulating technical specifications and inflating prices for anti-tank defense structures along the Ukrainian border.
As part of the ongoing probe, at least four officials from the Belgorod region are currently in custody. Bazarov and his alleged accomplices are facing four criminal charges, including bribery, according to the Interior Ministry.
On Wednesday, the Meshchansky District Court ruled to keep Bazarov in pre-trial detention until October 25, as reported by TASS. The proceedings were held in private.
It remains unclear whether Khinshtein has officially removed Bazarov from his duties following the arrest.
In response to concerns about potential attacks from Ukrainian forces, Moscow allocated billions of rubles for the construction of fortifications in the Belgorod and Kursk regions. These apprehensions were validated in August 2024 when Ukraine launched an unexpected offensive into Kursk, seizing significant territories.
Though Ukrainian forces did not launch a similar large-scale attack in Belgorod, they have conducted numerous small-scale raids, calling into question the effectiveness of the expensive defensive measures.
Additionally, the Kursk region has become part of investigations related to border defense issues. Earlier this year, former Governor Alexei Smirnov and his first deputy, Alexei Dedov, were arrested on charges of large-scale fraud.
