A Russian court has sentenced Alexei Smirnov, the former governor of the Kursk region, to 14 years in a strict-regime penal colony on charges of bribery and abuse of office, state media reported. The verdict was delivered by the Moscow District Military Court on Monday, April 6, 2026.
The court found Smirnov guilty of accepting a bribe of 1.5 million rubles (approximately $16,000) and abusing his official powers, according to reports from TASS and RIA Novosti. The charges stemmed from his tenure as governor from 2018 to 2023.
In addition to the prison term, the court ordered Smirnov to pay a fine of 2 million rubles and barred him from holding public office for five years. The former governor, who was detained in 2023, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The sentencing is part of a broader anti-corruption campaign in Russia that has seen several regional officials prosecuted. The Kursk region borders Ukraine and has been a strategically important area since the onset of the military conflict.
