Vladimir Putin Reinstates Prosecutor Leading State Asset Seizures

Sergei Bochkarev, the head of the main civil litigation department at Russia's Prosecutor General's Office, has been reinstated to his position after being dismissed in late July. According to reports from Fontanka and other sources, President Vladimir Putin issued a decree to cancel the dismissal. The initial removal was reported by Kommersant in late July, which noted that the decision followed a report from Bochkarev himself, although sources suggested Prosecutor General Alexander Gutsan was dissatisfied with his performance.

Bochkarev is described as a chief specialist in the nationalization of assets. He led the legal efforts to seize control of Domodedovo Airport, Makfa, the Yuzhuralzoloto Group of Companies (YUGK), and the Rusagro group. He also represented the prosecution in the case of former police colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko, which resulted in the confiscation of assets worth approximately nine billion rubles. Bochkarev has served in the Prosecutor General's Office since 2010 and has over 20 years of experience in the prosecutorial system.

Meduza reports that there is no public record of either the dismissal or the reinstatement on the government's official legal acts portal, despite screenshots of the dismissal decree circulating on Telegram. In a broader context, the Prosecutor General's Office reports that the state nationalized over 800 companies worth four trillion rubles in 2025. While the Duma passed a bill in May to protect businesses from nationalization, the law does not apply to anti corruption or anti extremist claims, which have become common justifications for asset seizures.