Kathrine Frich
Investigators started digging into the complicated paperwork in the fall of 2025.
When massive sums of government money flow into military projects, a few million can easily slip through the cracks.
Catching the people who built those hidden financial traps usually takes years. Now, a deep investigation has finally caught up with a major executive in the heavy weapons industry.
Catching a boss
A Moscow court just locked up a crucial figure in the Russian defense sector. Authorities arrested Dmitry Semizorov. He now faces up to a decade behind bars.
He currently serves as the deputy general director at Uralvagonzavod. According to The Moscow Times, the massive industrial facility operates as the country’s primary tank manufacturer.
Law enforcement officials ordered the suspect to spend the next two months in pre-trial detention. They accuse him of executing a massive financial fraud scheme involving government funds.
Following the money
The severe charges stem from an older defense contract. Behind the scenes, investigators started digging into the complicated paperwork in the fall of 2025.
They focused heavily on the years between 2012 and 2018. During that time, Semizorov ran the Central Research Institute of Precision Mechanics, a facility that developed essential military weapons.
In 2016, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation claims the institute signed a highly suspicious deal. They paid FSK Progress LLC about 130 million rubles for industrial air conditioning units.
Police officials say the actual equipment was worth a maximum of 80 million rubles. Participants allegedly stole the missing 50 million rubles and quickly moved them elsewhere.
Pointing the finger
The 60-year-old executive strongly denies the criminal charges. He insists that other people involved in the corrupt scheme falsely blamed him to save themselves.
According to RBK television cited by Onet, two other suspects gave evidence against the prominent director. One of those informants is currently sitting under strict house arrest.
His defense team desperately tried to secure a softer punishment. They pointed to his chronic health issues, like hypertension, and reminded the court about his long list of state awards.
Praised but punished
His current employers immediately rushed to defend his professional reputation. Uralvagonzavod released a statement praising his quick action after the conflict in Ukraine began.
Company representatives stated that under his direct leadership, the factories “were switched to a special mode of operation in the shortest possible time” to deliver weapons ahead of schedule.
The Investigative Committee completely ignored those recent wartime achievements. They declared that the stolen money actively threatened the safety and defense capabilities of the entire nation.
Sources: The Moscow Times, Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, RBK television, Onet
