Overview
- The regional government said Governor Mikhail Kotyukov dismissed Mikhail Zaskalko effective December 28 via an official Telegram announcement.
- First deputy Maxim Govorushkin was appointed minister effective December 29, replacing Zaskalko.
- The Investigative Committee detained Zaskalko on suspicion of exceeding authority under Article 286, part 3(e), with a custody decision pending.
- Investigators say that in 2022, while leading the regional capital construction agency, he failed to terminate a contract and recover an advance of more than 23 million rubles after a 20-apartment orphan house was deemed unsafe.
- The committee also alleges he ordered a new build and project documentation worth about 2 million rubles that produced a noncompliant building, with total budget damage estimated at roughly 25 million rubles.