Overview
- Vyacheslav Gladkov told reporters he has not been summoned for questioning in cases involving his former and current deputies.
- Ex–deputy governor Vladimir Bazarov is suspected of stealing more than 250 million rubles tied to defensive construction projects.
- Vice governor Rustem Zaynullin has been charged with large-scale fraud, with investigators alleging at least 32 million rubles were taken and up to 4 million rubles personally.
- Despite the charge, Zaynullin remains in his post, and three businessmen—Sergey Petryakov, Ivan Novikov and Konstantin Zimin—are in pretrial detention.
- Gladkov said two terms deliver maximum effectiveness for regional leaders and noted Belgorod’s gubernatorial election is scheduled for September 2026, with candidate decisions typically made early in the year.