Ex-Deputy Governor Who Planned to Fight in Ukraine Gets 14 Years for Military Supplies Theft

Oct. 2, 2026 Press service of the Krasnodar region administration A Russian court sentenced a former deputy governor of the southern Krasnodar region to 14 years in prison for abuse of authority and organizing the theft of supplies intended for troops fighting in Ukraine, the regional courts’ press service said. Vlasov resigned as deputy governor of Krasnodar in September 2025 and announced plans to join the Kuban brigade fighting in Ukraine. He was arrested the following day. Vlasov, who also headed the Kuban Cossack Host, was fined 1 million rubles ($11,900) and barred from holding managerial or administrative positions in state or local government for three years. His adviser, Alexander Starodubtsev, received six years for fraud, the same fine and a two-and-a-half-year employment ban. Both men will serve their sentences in general-regime penal colonies. The verdict has yet to take legal effect. The Sovetsky District Court in Krasnodar found that the Cossack organization received a 100 million ruble ($1.19 million) government subsidy in August 2022 to buy supplies for BARS-1, BARS-11, BARS-16 and other units fighting in Ukraine. It bought uniforms, protective gear and other equipment worth 57.75 million rubles ($687,225) between August and December that year but failed to deliver them by the deadline. Acting on Vlasov’s instructions, Starodubtsev stole goods worth about 2.31 million rubles ($27,489) with the intention of selling them through an online classifieds website, the court found. Belts, gloves, raincoats, boots and socks were advertised on Avito, the local outlet Za Krasnodar reported in September. Investigators recovered stolen goods from Starodubtsev’s home, it said. In early 2023, Starodubtsev also took goods worth 347,868 rubles ($4,140) that had been incorrectly recorded as delivered. He kept them at home awaiting buyers until law enforcement officers seized them, according to the court statement reported by Kubanskie Novosti. Vlasov instructed employees of the Cossack organization and representatives of military units to falsify delivery records to conceal the theft, the court found. One BARS member testified that, at Vlasov’s instruction, he signed a delivery document for about 20 million rubles ($238,000) worth of goods despite receiving none of them, according to case materials published by Za Krasnodar. The witness, whose testimony was read out in court because he was in the combat zone, said shortages of uniforms, drones and other equipment prevented units from fully carrying out combat tasks. Kommersant reported in August that commanders and military representatives also described receiving fewer supplies than records showed. The organization’s former chief accountant testified that she handled paperwork without monitoring deliveries. Vlasov became deputy governor of Krasnodar in September 2020 and took over the Kuban Cossack Host in 2021. This article was translated with the help of artificial intelligence and was reviewed by a Moscow Times editor before publication. Learn more about our newsroom's AI policy here. Read this article in Russian at The Moscow Times' Russian service. Read more about: Krasnodar , Regions , Corruption , Court case Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. 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