Pro-war blogger accused of embezzling millions meant for Russian military medical supplies

Russian police are reviewing allegations against Roman Alekhin, a pro-war blogger and ex-adviser to Kursk’s former governor, for the suspected embezzlement of aid intended for soldiers in Ukraine. Hidden camera footage released this week allegedly shows Alekhin discussing how to launder 200 million rubles (about $2.4 million) through his charity foundation.

The scandal highlights widespread corruption concerns in Russia’s military support network amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Alekhin’s case follows the arrest of his ex-boss, former Kursk Governor Alexey Smirnov, on separate fraud charges earlier this year, while Alekhin himself had a brief stint with the Chechen special forces, which ended after just 23 days. “I’m a civilian administrator, a social technologist, an analyst, a volunteer, and in some ways a blogger — but I’m not a soldier with military training,” he said. “I’m more useful to people and the Motherland in the civilian sector.” 

Alekhin says the hidden camera footage circulating online was a setup by people claiming to represent “a businessman named Galitsky.” The proposed scheme would have involved monthly transfers of 100 million rubles (about $1.2 million), with two-thirds of this sum earmarked for medical supplies procured from companies connected to Galitsky. The remaining funds would have stayed with Alekhin’s own charity. 

Speaking to the Telegram channel Ostorozhno Novosti, Alekhin said Galitsky’s representatives later revealed that they would withhold 10 percent of the ordered supplies and asked him to cover the shortfall himself. Alekhin claims he attempted to formalize the arrangement but denies ever signing an agreement with Galitsky, saying he was aware the scheme “didn’t sound very legal.”