Kursk Construction Boss Jailed 9 Years in Border Defense Embezzlement Case - The Moscow Times
Moscow Times
February 20, 2026
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A court in Kursk sentenced the former CEO of a local construction company, Vladimir Lukin, to nine years in prison for embezzlement tied to government defense contracts. The case centered on fraudulent activities related to the construction of fortifications near the border with Ukraine, which reportedly cost 15 billion rubles ($195 million) and took nearly three years to build. Ukrainian forces breached these defenses during their offensive in late 2024, raising questions about the project's effectiveness.
Prosecutors accused Lukin of siphoning off 152.8 million rubles ($2 million) intended for the construction of defensive fortifications. He was found guilty of large-scale fraud committed by an organized group and stripped of his state award, the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland.” Three other individuals were also convicted in the same case: Lukin’s former deputies Igor Grabin and Dmitry Spiridonov, as well as Andrey Volovikov, a former top manager at a contracting firm. Grabin received an eight-year sentence, Spiridonov seven years, and Volovikov 8.5 years in prison. All four were fined and have vowed to appeal.
This case is part of a broader investigation into embezzlement and fraud involving defense projects in Kursk, which has faced significant territorial losses during the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Earlier this month, former regional lawmaker Maxim Vasilyev was sentenced to 5.5 years for similar offenses, while former Governor Alexei Smirnov and his deputy Alexei Dedov remain under arrest on fraud charges. The case also implicated Roman
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Originally published on Moscow Times on 2/20/2026