The senior official who spearheaded the Russian government’s wave of private asset seizures since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been quietly returned to his job after Prosecutor General Alexander Gutsan reportedly dismissed him last month, the news outlet Fontanka reported Wednesday, citing a source familiar with the matter.
The official, Sergei Bochkarev, headed the Civil and Judicial Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office. Under his direction, the government nationalized around 6.5 trillion rubles ($81.45 billion) in private assets since 2022.
Bochkarev’s most high-profile targets included Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, food manufacturer Makfa and gold miner YUGK.
In July, sources told the newspaper Kommersant that Gutsan dismissed Bochkarev after the chief prosecutor had publicly criticized him earlier for the mismanagement of confiscated properties, which he warned was undermining efforts to return them to the market.
However, earlier this week, several Telegram channels reported that Bochkarev had been returned to his post at the Prosecutor General’s Office. A source familiar with the situation confirmed the reinstatement to Fontanka, an online news outlet based in St. Petersburg.
President Vladimir Putin reportedly intervened directly to restore Bochkarev to his position, issuing an executive order that nullified Gutsan’s dismissal order.
Officials have not publicly commented on any of the reports about Bochkarev’s dismissal and reinstatement.
Bochkarev joined the Prosecutor General’s Office in 2010 and built a reputation leading high-profile investigations, including against disgraced anti-corruption police officer Dmitry Zakharchenko, which led to the largest cash seizure in Russian law enforcement history.
