Putin Reportedly Reinstates Official Who Led Wartime Asset Seizures After Dismissal

A senior Russian prosecutor's office official who led a sweeping campaign of private asset seizures has been returned to his post after being dismissed last month, the St. Petersburg-based outlet Fontanka reported Wednesday, citing a source familiar with the matter.

The official, Sergei Bochkarev, headed the Civil and Judicial Department of the Prosecutor General's Office. Under his leadership, the Russian government has nationalized around 6.5 trillion rubles ($81.45 billion) worth of private assets since 2022. His most notable targets included Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, food producer Makfa and gold miner YUGK.

Dismissal Over Mismanagement Claims

In July, the newspaper Kommersant reported, citing sources, that Prosecutor General Alexander Gutsan had dismissed Bochkarev after previously criticizing him publicly for mismanaging seized properties, warning that it was hampering efforts to return the assets to the market.

This week, however, several Telegram channels reported that Bochkarev had returned to his position at the Prosecutor General's Office. A source confirmed the reinstatement to Fontanka.

Putin's Alleged Intervention

According to the reports, President Vladimir Putin personally intervened to restore Bochkarev to his post, issuing an order that nullified Gutsan's dismissal decision. Officials have not publicly commented on either the dismissal or the reinstatement.

Bochkarev has worked at the Prosecutor General's Office since 2010 and built a reputation for leading high-profile investigations, including one against disgraced anti-corruption police officer Dmitry Zakharchenko, which resulted in the largest cash seizure in the history of Russian law enforcement.