Alexey Lokotchenko, a deputy of the State Assembly of Bashkortostan who previously joined the war effort in Ukraine, has been placed in a pre-trial detention center for allegedly selling a "Special Military Operation (SMO) contract" for 10 million rubles, RBC-Ufa reported on December 17.
Alexey Lokotchenko was detained on December 16 and placed in pre-trial detention by order of the Sovetsky District Court of Ufa on charges of acting as a mediator in a large-scale bribery case.
RBC-Ufa, citing investigators, reported that Lokotchenko offered his assistance to a woman charged with illegal banking activities in exchange for 10.2 million rubles. The plan involved the woman signing a fictitious contract with the Ministry of Defense, which would allow her to be acquitted of the charges upon its termination. Lokotchenko himself was set to act as a mediator for passing the bribe to Ministry of Defense officials. He also involved his subordinate from the Archangel Michael squad within the Donbass Wild Division brigade as a second intermediary. The subordinate, whose name has not been disclosed, was caught red-handed, leading to Lokotchenko’s subsequent detainment.
The deputy managed to publish the following post on VKontakte:
"You know me as a reliable person who is always ready to aid fellow citizens and as a patriot who would give his life for Russia without a second thought. Whatever you see in the media today has been done solely to discredit and tarnish me and has nothing to do with reality."
Alexey Lokotchenko worked as a criminal investigation operative until 2018. In 2023, he was elected as a deputy of the State Assembly of Bashkortostan. Following the mass protests in Baymak and Ufa, he commented that there was no need to "stir the pot" and later left to join the war in Ukraine.
In October, news circulated on Telegram channels about Lokotchenko’s disappearance during an assault in the Sudzhansky District of Kursk Oblast. However, the deputy soon re-established contact.
Lokotchenko is still listed as a United Russia member and a deputy of the State Assembly of Bashkortostan on the website of the ruling party’s regional branch.
