Law enforcement officials in the western Bryansk region searched the home and office of Vice Governor Nikolai Simonenko on Tuesday morning as part of an ongoing investigation into the construction of border fortifications, Russian state media reported.
The search was conducted by officers from the Interior Ministry’s financial crimes and anti-corruption unit, as well as the Federal Security Service (FSB), according to the state-run TASS news agency, which cited a law enforcement source.
Simonenko has not been formally charged, and there was no official confirmation of the search. The vice governor’s portfolio includes oversight of the regional construction department, according to TASS.
While the reason for the reported search remains unclear, it comes amid a widening investigation into alleged corruption tied to border fortifications in the neighboring Kursk region.
Ukrainian forces briefly occupied parts of the Kursk region following their August 2024 incursion, despite Russia’s extensive investment in border defenses. The incursion raised questions over the effectiveness and accounting of the construction projects.
Several officials in Kursk, including former Governor Alexei Smirnov, have since been charged with embezzling funds intended for the defenses. Another former governor, Roman Starovoit, was also reportedly going to face charges before he killed himself outside Moscow earlier this month.
