Overview
- Meshchansky District Court sentenced Piket CEO Andrei Esipov to nine years and ordered 2.4 billion rubles to the Defense Ministry for fraud tied to at least 20,040 substandard body armor units.
- Esipov’s case was heard in a special procedure after a guilty plea and cooperation deal, his sentence was combined with a prior illegal banking conviction, and he was fined 800,000 rubles.
- The same court scheduled proceedings for finance director Viktoria Antonova and security chief Mikhail Kalchenko for November 12 at 15:00 in the related body armor theft case.
- The 235th Garrison Military Court opened ex–deputy defense minister Pavel Popov’s trial in closed session due to state secrets; his lawyer said he does not admit guilt to bribery, fraud and related charges.
- Regional outcomes included seven years for former UEB/PK officer Yevgeny Maltsev over a 200‑million‑ruble bribery attempt and ten years plus a 17‑million‑ruble fine for ex‑Rospotrebnadzor official Alla Belokrylova for taking over 2.5 million rubles, while appeals were filed over a July ruling seizing 821 properties and 590 million rubles from ex‑Vladivostok mayor Vladimir Nikolaev.