Former Bryansk Region Official Petrotchenko Sentenced to 10 Years for Bribe-Taking

© Суды общей юрисдикции города Москвы

On March 13, 2026, the Bryansk District Court handed down a sentence in a high-profile corruption case involving former senior official of the Bryansk Regional Government, Alexander Petrochenko. The court found him guilty of receiving a bribe in an especially large amount, according to "Bryansk News".

According to the investigation, between 2021 and 2024, Petrochenko systematically received money from an individual entrepreneur. The total amount of illegal remuneration exceeded 20.7 million rubles (approximately $250,000 USD). In exchange for these funds, the official allegedly provided patronage and assistance to the entrepreneur in concluding and executing state contracts.

Despite denying the charges, the court concluded that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence. Petrochenko was sentenced to 10 years in a strict-regime penal colony. Additionally, he was fined 20.7 million rubles and barred from holding public office for four years.

Furthermore, the court decided to strip him of a state award—the Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" II degree. The funds received as bribes were confiscated and transferred to the state treasury.

The sentence has not yet come into legal force and can be appealed.

Earlier, during the trial, the prosecution had demanded a harsher punishment. The prosecutor requested a 13-year sentence in a strict-regime penal colony, a fine of 62.1 million rubles (three times the amount of the alleged bribe), a five-year ban on holding public office, and the revocation of the state award.

The criminal case was initiated following an investigation by the regional branch of the Federal Security Service (FSB). It was reported that the investigation was initiated by the Governor of Bryansk Region, Alexander Bogomaz. Petrochenko was arrested in October of the previous year, after which he was charged with receiving a large bribe.