Former Russian executives sentenced in secret bunker embezzlement case
In a high-stakes case involving allegations of corruption and fraud, the Second Western District Military Court has announced sentences for those implicated in the embezzlement scandal surrounding secret underground bunker construction for the Ministry of Defense. According to TASS, former deputy director of LLC "Atlas," Dmitry Pipko, and former general director of LLC "M-Stroy," Andrey Epifantsev, received sentences of seven years and three years in a general regime penal colony, with fines of 1.5 million rubles and 500,000 rubles, respectively.
The courtroom proceedings, which began in June 2024, were held behind closed doors due to their classified nature. The court found the defendants guilty of inflating the volume and cost of materials and equipment that existed only on paper. Witness testimonies and expert evaluations revealed efforts to destroy evidence, including the removal of servers from their organizations. In a dramatic instance, Pipko reportedly disposed of three mobile phones in a microwave before his arrest.
Prosecutors had originally sought an 11-year sentence for Pipko, along with a fine of one million rubles and the revocation of his major rank, while Epifantsev, a veteran of the Syrian conflict, faced a requested sentence of six years and a fine of 800,000 rubles. Both men pleaded guilty and have partially compensated the Ministry of Defense, which recorded financial losses of 1.8 billion rubles. Additionally, Pipko has been ordered to pay 75 million rubles through a lawsuit filed by the Main Department of Military Arrangement, with a joint requirement of 1.8 billion rubles from both defendants.