Former Rosaviatsia Chief Charged With Fraud, Reports Say

July 3, 2026 Alexander Neradko. kremlin.ru Russian law enforcement authorities have reportedly arrested and pressed fraud charges against Alexander Neradko, the former head of the state civil aviation agency Rosaviatsia, nearly three years after his dismissal. Neradko led Rosaviatsia from 2009 until he was removed for undisclosed reasons in September 2023. His tenure concluded during a turbulent period for Russia’s aviation sector, which was hit hard by Western sanctions following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Investigators are now petitioning a court to place Neradko in pre-trial detention on charges of fraud, the newspaper Kommersant reported Friday, citing court documents. Moscow’s Khoroshevsky District Court is reportedly scheduled to rule on Friday on whether to hold Neradko in pre-trial detention for two months. Reports did not detail the specific allegations against Neradko, who had been serving as an adviser to the CEO of the state-owned State Transport Leasing Company since leaving Rosaviatsia. The RBC news outlet reported that several senior officials at Rosaviatsia faced criminal prosecution during the final years of Neradko’s tenure. His former deputy, Sergei Timoshenko — who served at the agency for six months between September 2021 and March 2022 — was charged with bribery this spring. Investigators accused Timoshenko of accepting 2.3 million rubles ($29,700) in bribes tied to construction work at Domodedovo International Airport. In May 2022, shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian government officially reprimanded Neradko for Rosaviatsia’s failure to carry out its instructions. Kommersant previously reported that Neradko’s ouster was linked to strained relations between Russia’s Transportation Ministry and Rosaviatsia, which had long maintained a high degree of institutional independence. Read more about: Rosaviatsia 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. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Rosaviatsia Expands Middle East Flight Restrictions Civilian aviation authorities banned Russian aircraft from using the airspace above Qatar after Iranian rocket attacks on a U.S. airbase there. 2 Min read Russia Says It Wasn’t Granted Access to Debris From Azerbaijani Plane Crash Kazakhstan’s Transportation Ministry earlier published preliminary findings of its investigation into the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243. 2 Min read Russia Halts Flights to Israel, Jordan, Iran Following Attack on Israel The Russian Foreign Ministry previously advised citizens against traveling to the Middle East, particularly Israel, Lebanon and Palestine. 2 Min read Russia's Aviation Body Allegedly Allowed Aircraft Export to Ukraine – Izvestia Three Russian Mi-8 transport helicopters, deregistered by Rosaviatsia in 2022, were reportedly used by Kyiv in its defense against Russia. 2 Min read