"Alexei Smirnov was found guilty of taking bribes from firms contracted to build fortifications along the Ukraine border, leading to a 14-year prison sentence for corruption."
"The court ruling revealed that anti-tank barriers were constructed using cheap materials, which could not withstand the capabilities of Ukrainian military equipment."
"Smirnov confessed that his predecessor, Roman Starovoit, had recommended the practice of accepting bribes, which contributed to the failure of the border defenses."
Alexei Smirnov, the former governor of Kursk, was sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony for corruption related to border fortifications. He accepted bribes from construction firms, resulting in substandard defenses that failed to withstand Ukrainian military advances. The court imposed a fine of 400 million roubles and confiscated over 20 million roubles from his assets. Smirnov's predecessor, Roman Starovoit, had recommended the bribery practice and reported the completion of the defense facilities before his dismissal as transport minister in 2025.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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