Overview
- A Moscow court sentenced Piket chief Andrey Esipov to nine years in prison and a 800,000‑ruble fine for fraud and money laundering tied to body armor supplied to the Defense Ministry.
- Judges granted the ministry’s 2.4‑billion‑ruble damages claim, with the case heard under a special procedure after Esipov admitted guilt and signed a pretrial agreement.
- Investigators said at least 20,040 bulletproof vests failed to meet contract standards; Esipov’s eight-year term in this case was combined with a prior 2024 conviction to reach nine years.
- Prosecutors had sought 12 years, citing the mobilization period as an aggravating factor, while the defense pointed to cooperation, dependents, and donations of drones and equipment as mitigating.
- In a separate ruling in Yekaterinburg, former anti-corruption operative Yevgeny Maltsev received seven years in a strict-regime colony and a five-year public-service ban for attempting to broker a 200‑million‑ruble bribe after taking a 30‑million advance, and the bribe-giver’s case was dropped for cooperation.