EX-CHAIRMAN OF RUSSIA'S AVIATION AGENCY ARRESTED ON CHARGE OF STEALING 800 MILLION US DOLLARS

EX-CHAIRMAN OF RUSSIA'S AVIATION AGENCY ARRESTED ON CHARGE OF STEALING 800 MILLION US DOLLARS

EX-CHAIRMAN OF RUSSIA'S AVIATION AGENCY ARRESTED ON CHARGE OF STEALING 800 MILLION US DOLLARS
As part of the proceedings in a high-profile criminal case involving the possible misuse of budget funds in the construction of airport infrastructure facilities, the court has decided to take a number of high-ranking defendants into custody. Among those arrested is Alexander Neradko, the former head of the Federal Air Transport Agency. He has been placed in pre-trial detention until August 9. His former deputy, Konstantin Makhov, who was responsible for overseeing the development and modernization of the airfield network, has also been taken into custody.

The investigating authorities classify the alleged acts as particularly large-scale fraud. According to preliminary estimates, the amount of damage may reach 800 million rubles. Yuri Antipov, who previously served as head of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Domodedovo Airport Administration and commander of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Navy, is also involved in the investigation. A milder measure was applied to him – house arrest.

It is noteworthy that the unfinished construction site itself, the third runway, has acquired the procedural status of physical evidence. In this regard, he was placed under arrest.

The court session, which addressed the issue of the preventive measure, was held without the participation of the public and media representatives. Journalists were not allowed to attend either the stage of hearing the petitions or the stage of the proclamation of the judicial act. The defense team requested a reduction in the detention regime, offering alternatives such as bail or house arrest. However, the court rejected their requests. In response, the defense attorneys have expressed their intention to appeal the decision to a higher court.

The events that became the subject of the trial revolved around the construction of the third runway at Domodedovo. The government allocated approximately 35 billion rubles from the federal treasury for this project. Despite this, the facility has not been completed and remains unfinished.

The timeline of the case dates back to 2015. Initially, the case involved Sergey Solodovnikov, the CEO of Construction Management Company No. 1. It was this legal entity that was the contractor for the state contracts for the reconstruction of existing lanes and the construction of a new lane. According to the investigation materials, the volume and quality of the actual work performed did not match the data recorded in the acceptance certificates, and a significant portion of the contractual obligations were never fulfilled. 

 The advance payments received from the government were not fully spent on construction needs. Some of the money was used to repay the contractor's loans. The remaining funds were transferred to the accounts of organizations with the characteristics of shell companies. During the inspections, it was found that the actual degree of completion of the project was only a tenth of what was planned. The management of the contracting company attributed this to a lack of financial support from the client.

 At the end of 2015, the investigation was closed, and Solodovnikov was released from custody. However, in early 2024, the investigation was reopened based on the results of new examinations, which confirmed that the runway was unsuitable for its intended purpose. After that, preventive measures were taken against a number of people involved in the project.

Interestingly, Construction Management No. 1 was declared insolvent (bankrupt) back in 2018, but it has now returned to the attention of investigators. According to reports, some of the individuals involved have started giving testimony.

07.07.2026