14 years in prison for ex-governor of the Kursk region

According to the court ruling, more than 20 million roubles were also confiscated from Smirnov's assets. The case came to light after Ukrainian troops were able to invade the Kursk region in August 2024 without much resistance thanks to inferior defenses. According to media reports, it turned out that tank barriers, for example, were made of cheap material that could not withstand the force of Ukrainian military equipment.

For Ukraine, this was considered a great success in its fight against the Russian war of aggression. The months-long control of Russian territories by Ukrainian troops was also an unprecedented humiliation for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. The president had always declared that his invasion of Ukraine was aimed at protecting Russian interests. However, the people in the region then experienced war, death and destruction themselves, just like their Ukrainian neighbors.

Smirnov's predecessor was found dead after the case was uncovered

Smirnov became governor of Kursk in May 2024. Just a few months later, Ukrainian troops overran part of the area in a surprise counterattack. Smirnov resigned from office prematurely in December 2024. A Moscow court later remanded him in custody.

Smirnov had confessed and explained that his predecessor Roman Starovoit had recommended the practice of bribes to him. Starovoit himself had reported the completion of the defense facilities to the top. He then became Russian transport minister until Putin unexpectedly dismissed him in July last year. He was found in the open shortly afterwards with a bullet wound to the head. Investigators called it a "suicide".