Russian Court Jails Ex-Kursk Governor for Corruption

Moscow— A Russian court sentenced former Kursk region governor Alexei Smirnov to 14 years in prison for corruption, state news agency RIA reported on tuesday.

The conviction is part of a broader investigation into the embezzlement of funds allocated for border defense infrastructure in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.

Authorities have pursued multiple former officials in the region following allegations that money intended to strengthen frontier defenses was misappropriated.

Parts of the Kursk region were seized by Ukrainian forces for several months in 2024, underscoring its strategic importance.

Details of the specific charges against Smirnov were not immediately disclosed, but the case reflects an ongoing crackdown on corruption linked to defense spending in border areas.