Russian mayor ousted for telling a woman that her brother died fighting in Ukraine to expedite a local construction project now heads a regional psychological center

Alexey Bannikov lost his mayoral seat earlier this year after trying to console a soldier’s sister by telling her that he died in Ukraine to protect Russia and ensure local public construction projects. He infamously singled out the town’s bridge, telling the grieving woman that her brother died “so we have sports grounds, so our bridge can finally be repaired, and so we can have a riverfront.”

Last week, the Tambov Regional Center for Psychological, Medical, and Educational Diagnostics and Counseling announced that it’s hired Bannikov as director. The tongue-tied ousted politician needed only a week to land the new gig.

When resigning as Morshansk’s mayor, Bannikov cited health reasons.