MOSCOW

A Moscow court on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for former Kursk region Governor Alexei Smirnov on corruption-related charges.

The Moscow Meshchansky District Court granted investigators' request and imposed a custody order for the ex-governor, directing his detention until June 15, according to a court statement.

Smirnov faces charges of fraud for approximately 1 billion rubles ($12.1 million) linked to the construction of defensive fortifications along the border with Ukraine.

As earlier reported by Interior Ministry spokesperson Irina Volk, Smirnov was apprehended together with his former first deputy, Alexey Dedov.

Before this, three heads of private firms who got public funding but failed to execute contracted construction work had already been detained and jailed.

Smirnov and Dedov are suspected of directing an organized criminal network and colluding with the Kursk Regional Development Corporation leadership to orchestrate the theft of public funds.