Russia's General Prosecutor's Office Dismisses Asset Confiscation Specialist

Sergei Bochkarev, the head of the main civil litigation department at Russia's General Prosecutor's Office, has been dismissed from his position. Described as the chief specialist in seizing business assets for the state, Bochkarev oversaw the nationalization of several major entities, including Domodedovo Airport, Makfa, Yuzhuralzoloto (YUGK), and Rusagro. He also represented the prosecution in a case to confiscate billions from former Internal Affairs Ministry Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko.

Reports indicate that assets seized under Bochkarev's oversight were often assigned high initial values but sold for significantly lower sums at auction. In one instance, Domodedovo Airport was valued at 1 trillion rubles but sold for less than 70 billion rubles; furthermore, some new owners inherited substantial debts along with the assets.

The reason for Bochkarev's dismissal remains officially unclear, although sources indicate that Prosecutor General Alexander Gutsan expressed dissatisfaction with his work. While there were previous suggestions that Bochkarev might be appointed to the Supreme Court, he was not brought into the judicial system and may instead pursue research or teaching roles, potentially as a vice-rector at a major university.

This dismissal occurs within a broader context of state asset seizures. In March, the Prosecutor General reported that companies worth 4 trillion rubles were nationalized in 2025, with over 800 companies transferred to the state. Some reports suggest the largest assets were given to individuals close to President Vladimir Putin. Additionally, a recent decree allows for the sale of nationalized property at discounts of up to 50 percent. While the Duma recently passed legislation to protect businesses from nationalization, this protection does not apply to cases involving anti-corruption or anti-extremism charges.