A Russian court on Monday sentenced the former governor of the Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, to 14 years in prison for corruption, state news agency RIA reported.
A series of former officials in Kursk region, a border region parts of which were seized by Ukraine for several months in 2024, have been prosecuted as part of an investigation into the embezzlement of funds intended for frontier defences.
Smirnov, who held office from May to December 2024, faced accusations of siphoning state funds, a crime he committed alongside other officials and contractors tasked with building defensive structures.
The convict, 52, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison plus a fine of 400 million rubles ($5 million). He has also been banned from holding public office for a decade after his release.
Russian authorities also ordered that 20.95 million rubles ($261,300) that he admitted to receiving as bribes, be confiscated.
