A senior Russian military official dies in Ukraine who avoided going to jail for corruption in exchange for fighting in the war

“Sergei Gorsky died heroically while participating in the special military operation (Ukrainian war),” reported a police source cited by the Russian newspaper.

The military He was sent to the front in May 2025, Therefore, the trial was suspended in the court that was handling his case in the city of Saint Petersburg.

Gorski was part of the management of the Military Construction Company until his arrest in August 2024, when the Federal Security Service (FSB) entered his home to arrest him for several cases of corruption.

He was accused of abuse of power and of receive two bribes in 2021 and 2022 worth 2.2 million and 8.1 million rubles (about 24,000 and 90,000 dollars to the current exchange rate), respectively.

13 years in prison

The Ministry of Defense company was sponsored by the former vice minister of Defense, Timur Ivanov, who was also tried for corruption and sentenced to 13 years in prison in July of last year.

Russian Justice denied for the second time this Monday Ivanov’s request to be sent to the battlefield from the preventive detention in which he is located while he appeals his case.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, several senior Russian officials convicted of various crimes have requested to commute their prison sentences to service in the Army.