News
- 16 March 2026, 16:36
- The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation
Year after year, the prosecution authorities of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus demonstrate a vivid example of effective international cooperation, which plays a key role in the fight against cross-border crime and ensuring law and order in the Union State. This partnership, based on mutual trust and shared goals, yields tangible results, strengthening the security of citizens of both countries.
Thus, in 2025, 225 persons were extradited from Russia to Belarus, who are accused of or have already been convicted of committing crimes. In turn, Belarus extradited 33 persons to our country who were wanted by our law enforcement authorities. All of them had attempted to evade responsibility by evading justice on the territory of other states.
These involve a wide range of acts: from the most minor to very serious. The majority are crimes against property: theft, fraud, robbery. But there are also far more serious offenses: assaults on life and health, violations of administrative order, crimes against justice, as well as those related to road and transport safety.
For example, last year, Sergei Ilyin, an active member of a criminal organization that operated in Vorkuta from 1995 to 2012, was brought to Russia. He is charged with hostage-taking and murder.
Maksim Gordienko was also handed over. He is charged under Article 159, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud) and Article 174.1, Part 4, Paragraph "b" of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (legalization (laundering) of funds or other property acquired by a person as a result of committing a crime by them). Acting as the actual head and owner of Kapital Razvitie LLC, from 2022 to 2024, he stole over 447 million rubles from the budget that had been transferred under a contract for construction work on two schools that was never actually performed. The accused laundered part of the stolen funds under the guise of payments for services rendered and goods supplied.
Anton Gusev was also extradited to Russia to face prosecution under Article 264, Part 4, Paragraphs "a" and "c" of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (violation of traffic rules and vehicle operation rules) and Article 264.1, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (driving a vehicle while intoxicated, by a person subject to administrative penalty or with a criminal record). According to the investigation, in September 2025, Gusev, having gotten behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated, was involved in an accident that resulted in the death of a female passenger who was in the vehicle with him.
Vadim Lapanik was also handed over, charged with fraud (Article 159, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and attempted fraud (Article 30, Part 3; Article 159, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The investigation believes that, as part of an organized group, he telephoned residents of various regions, providing false information about compensation payments for the purchase of substandard medicines and dietary supplements. For this, people were required to transfer certain amounts to accounts designated by the perpetrators, supposedly as tax payments. The accomplices stole this money; the total amount stolen from October 2018 to May 2019 exceeded 2 million rubles.
Andrei Drapeza was also handed over to the Russian competent authorities to face criminal prosecution for, as the investigation believes, illegally selling 37 blank bank payment cards and authentication data in the summer of 2022 in Gomel and the Gomel region, through which access to bank accounts was possible.
Oleg Kish was extradited to face prosecution under Article 424, Part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. While holding the position of director of a company, between 2009 and 2014, he abused his official powers during the shared-equity construction of an apartment building, specifically by conducting illegal transactions with shareholders' funds and committing other unlawful acts.
Irina Novikova was, too, handed over to Belarus. While working as the director of a school nutrition plant, she received bribes from 39 subordinates for leniency and patronage at work (Article 430, Part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus).
The request for the extradition of Ilya Arkhipov, who is charged with the production and distribution of pornographic materials on the Internet, illegal trafficking of psychotropic substances, and other crimes, was also granted.
Cooperation between the supervisory authorities of Russia and Belarus, as well as other competent authorities, in matters of crime control and other issues significant to the two countries will continue.
The Prosecutor General's Office
of the Russian Federation
The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation
16 March 2026, 16:36
Law Enforcement Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus – Results of 2025
Year after year, the prosecution authorities of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus demonstrate a vivid example of effective international cooperation, which plays a key role in the fight against cross-border crime and ensuring law and order in the Union State. This partnership, based on mutual trust and shared goals, yields tangible results, strengthening the security of citizens of both countries.
Thus, in 2025, 225 persons were extradited from Russia to Belarus, who are accused of or have already been convicted of committing crimes. In turn, Belarus extradited 33 persons to our country who were wanted by our law enforcement authorities. All of them had attempted to evade responsibility by evading justice on the territory of other states.
These involve a wide range of acts: from the most minor to very serious. The majority are crimes against property: theft, fraud, robbery. But there are also far more serious offenses: assaults on life and health, violations of administrative order, crimes against justice, as well as those related to road and transport safety.
For example, last year, Sergei Ilyin, an active member of a criminal organization that operated in Vorkuta from 1995 to 2012, was brought to Russia. He is charged with hostage-taking and murder.
Maksim Gordienko was also handed over. He is charged under Article 159, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud) and Article 174.1, Part 4, Paragraph "b" of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (legalization (laundering) of funds or other property acquired by a person as a result of committing a crime by them). Acting as the actual head and owner of Kapital Razvitie LLC, from 2022 to 2024, he stole over 447 million rubles from the budget that had been transferred under a contract for construction work on two schools that was never actually performed. The accused laundered part of the stolen funds under the guise of payments for services rendered and goods supplied.
Anton Gusev was also extradited to Russia to face prosecution under Article 264, Part 4, Paragraphs "a" and "c" of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (violation of traffic rules and vehicle operation rules) and Article 264.1, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (driving a vehicle while intoxicated, by a person subject to administrative penalty or with a criminal record). According to the investigation, in September 2025, Gusev, having gotten behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated, was involved in an accident that resulted in the death of a female passenger who was in the vehicle with him.
Vadim Lapanik was also handed over, charged with fraud (Article 159, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and attempted fraud (Article 30, Part 3; Article 159, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The investigation believes that, as part of an organized group, he telephoned residents of various regions, providing false information about compensation payments for the purchase of substandard medicines and dietary supplements. For this, people were required to transfer certain amounts to accounts designated by the perpetrators, supposedly as tax payments. The accomplices stole this money; the total amount stolen from October 2018 to May 2019 exceeded 2 million rubles.
Andrei Drapeza was also handed over to the Russian competent authorities to face criminal prosecution for, as the investigation believes, illegally selling 37 blank bank payment cards and authentication data in the summer of 2022 in Gomel and the Gomel region, through which access to bank accounts was possible.
Oleg Kish was extradited to face prosecution under Article 424, Part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. While holding the position of director of a company, between 2009 and 2014, he abused his official powers during the shared-equity construction of an apartment building, specifically by conducting illegal transactions with shareholders' funds and committing other unlawful acts.
Irina Novikova was, too, handed over to Belarus. While working as the director of a school nutrition plant, she received bribes from 39 subordinates for leniency and patronage at work (Article 430, Part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus).
The request for the extradition of Ilya Arkhipov, who is charged with the production and distribution of pornographic materials on the Internet, illegal trafficking of psychotropic substances, and other crimes, was also granted.
Cooperation between the supervisory authorities of Russia and Belarus, as well as other competent authorities, in matters of crime control and other issues significant to the two countries will continue.
