Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
According to reports, he died “in the special military operation zone.”
The disgraced former mayor and deputy governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, Konstantin Polezhayev, has been killed in combat, the local outlet Fonar reports, citing relatives of the former official.
It is unclear where Polezhayev lost his life, but according to Fonar, it happened “in the special military operation zone,” likely in Ukraine, as Russian authorities describe the ongoing war as a “special military operation.”
According to United24 Media, Polezhayev served as mayor in the region from 2015 to 2019 before stepping up to become regional deputy governor in charge of housing and utilities.
His political career collapsed in 2023. Public anger erupted over botched reconstruction projects in war-damaged towns along the border with Ukraine, prompting state investigators to step in immediately.
Investigators accused him of taking two luxury vehicles worth more than 18 million rubles, or about $216,000, from a construction company in exchange for favorable treatment.
In August 2024, a court found him guilty of large-scale bribery. Judges handed down a five-year prison sentence, a $400,000 fine, and an eight-year ban from public office.
Frontline deal
Polezhayev never served his time behind bars. Just before sentencing, he signed a military service contract with the Russian Defense Ministry.
By October 2024, an appeals court officially suspended his criminal case after a military commander confirmed his active deployment to the front lines.
According to the local outlet Fonar, Polezhayev joined the 1st Assault Battalion of the 272nd Motorized Rifle Regiment. He was sent straight into combat outside Belgorod.
On September 22, Fonar reported that his relatives confirmed he was killed during active combat. They offered no further details about the exact date, location, or circumstances surrounding his death.
Independent investigative outlets, including Pepel, noted that Polezhayev’s deployment may have initially been intended as a nominal arrangement. Before his transfer to the 1st Assault Battalion of the 272nd Motorized Rifle Regiment, he was listed under a local BARS territorial defense unit in Belgorod, sparking widespread speculation that his enlistment was a “ghost service” deal designed to skirt prison time without real combat exposure—an arrangement that ultimately proved fatal.
A deadly pattern
Polezhayev is not alone. His death highlights a growing pattern of disgraced Russian figures swapping prison sentences for military deployment.
In another recent case, a Ukrainian strike in occupied Kyrylivka killed Mikhail Ivanov, who headed a local office for state communications regulator Roskomnadzor in Zaporizhzhia.
Ivanov previously served in the armed forces. Before his death, he managed state communication systems in occupied territory while actively supporting military units in the war against Ukraine.
For many disgraced bureaucrats, the front line has become the final stop.
