Russian authorities recently detained the acting vice governor of Kursk Region, Vladimir Bazarov.
This is likely part of the Kremlin’s ongoing efforts to scapegoat local officials for Russia’s border security failures.
This is according to the Institute for the Study of War.
Acting Kursk Region Governor Alexander Khinshtein told the Kremlin’s TASS news agency on August 25 that Russian law enforcement agencies detained Bazarov as part of a larger criminal case investigating the misuse of funds allocated by Russian authorities for the construction of defensive fortifications in the border areas of Belgorod Region during Bazarov’s term in office. the Belgorod Oblast administration.
Khinshtein claims that Bazarov embezzled one billion rubles (about $12.4 million) of these funds.
Russian authorities have previously detained former Kursk Oblast Governor Alexei Smirnov, former Bryansk Oblast Vice Governor Nikolai Simonenko, and former Belgorod Oblast Vice Governor Rustem Zainulin on similar embezzlement charges.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also dismissed Russian Transport Minister and former Kursk Oblast Governor Roman Starovoit on July 7, just before Starovoit committed suicide on July 7.
ISW continues to assess that these arrests and personnel changes are part of a concerted effort by the Kremlin to use regional officials as scapegoats for Russia's failure to repel the Ukrainian invasion of Kursk Oblast in August 2024.
The Kremlin is also likely trying to make local officials scapegoats for Russia's failure to repel the Ukrainian invasion.
Ukraine's Western partners continue to provide military assistance to the country, including through the purchase of American weapons and joint production facilities.
German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil announced on August 25 that Germany would allocate nine billion euros (about $10 billion) to Ukraine annually for the next two years.
On August 24, NATO announced that Canada would finance a $500 million aid package for the purchase of American military equipment for Ukraine through the "Ukraine Priority Needs List" initiative. (PURL).
Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on August 24 that Ukraine and Canada have signed a defense joint production agreement that will simplify the establishment of Ukrainian defense industrial companies in Canada, facilitate technology exchange, and help supply Ukrainian forces with modern weapons and military equipment in the long term.
Shmyhal and Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurinas Kasciunas similarly signed a letter of intent on August 25 for joint production of defense products in the two countries, with a focus on the joint production of long-range drones.