Russia sees record arrests of top officials amid war fallout

Russia has witnessed a record-breaking surge in the number of criminal cases against senior government officials in 2025, with arrests now surpassing levels seen in any previous year.

155 high-ranking officials have been detained since January—already outstripping the total of 122 arrests recorded in all of 2024. The year-on-year trend reveals a dramatic escalation: 73 officials were arrested in 2023, while only 33 were detained in 2022, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

The period between August and mid-October has been particularly intense, with over 50 senior officials and lawmakers taken into custody. These include four deputy governors and eight ministers. Among the most notable arrests are former vice-governor of the Sverdlovsk region Oleg Chemezov and former Deputy Governor of Krasnodar region Alexander Vlasov, both of whom resigned shortly before their detentions.

Also detained were former Dagestan Health Minister Tatiana Belyaeva, Mayor of Vladimir Dmitry Naumov, North Ossetia’s National Guard chief Valery Golota, and former Minister of Health of Arkhangelsk region Alexander Gershtansky.

A number of the criminal cases are directly tied to military-related matters. Acting Deputy Governor of Kursk Oblast, Vladimir Bazarov, is suspected of embezzlement during the construction of fortifications on the Ukrainian border. Defence Ministry official Andrei Tyurin faces charges for failing to fulfill a defence contract, allegedly causing damages of 40 million rubles (approximately $420,000). Alexander Vlasov is also accused of stealing humanitarian aid meant for Russian troops involved in the invasion of Ukraine.

The pace of arrests continues to accelerate. While the average monthly number of cases in the first half of 2025 stood at 14, the second half has seen that figure rise to 20. Security and law enforcement officials account for the largest share of those detained (32%), followed by individuals in the construction and housing sectors (21%), transportation (14%), economic departments (8%), and environmental and agricultural sectors (7%).

The report focuses on officials of significant rank, including deputy heads of regional ministries, senators, lawmakers at both federal and regional levels, and mayors of regional capitals. The data, collected from open sources, excludes heads of state-owned enterprises.

By Vafa Guliyeva