The Military Court of the 2nd Western District heard the criminal case of abuse of authority filed against Colonel Sergei Volkov, former head of the technical development and resource support department of the Russian Guard Maritime Directorate. “Kommersant”. The case concerns fraud in organizing the fight against Ukrainian drones; Due to violations, the Crimean Bridge was left unprotected.
According to the investigation, in 2020, the Russian Guard decided to purchase two anti-drone systems for crossing the Kerch Strait, transferring this task to Colonel Volkov. It was noted that the civil servant started the implementation as the end of the fiscal year approached and there was a risk that the unspent money would be returned to the budget.
According to the investigation, Volkov wanted to avoid negative consequences for himself, so an application was prepared for the purchase of two Orel-UAV complexes, the characteristics of which did not correspond to the terms of reference. After that, he sent the documents to the procurement organizational department of the Russian Guard, and then held an auction, as a result of the purchase of the above-mentioned complexes. The equipment, worth 395 million rubles, was adopted by a departmental commission in October 2021, and tests a month later showed that the complexes could not suppress drone radio signals.
At the end of March 2023, Volkov was detained in Moscow. The officer is accused of improperly spending budget funds and reducing the protection of the Crimean Bridge in the conditions of the Northern Military District.
17 July 2023 Ukraine was attacked Crimean Bridge by marine drones. The incident resulted in two deaths and damage to the crossing.
Previously in Crimea stated About the involvement of three countries in the terrorist attacks on the bridge.