According to *Kommersant*, citing authorities in the Rostov region, Novocherkassk Mayor Yuri Lysenko was detained by FSB officers on suspicion of bribery (Article 290 of the Criminal Code).
The regional investigative department claims that this year, the mayor, through a subordinate, accepted a bribe from a developer, which included a land plot and the construction of a residential house on it. The total value of these services exceeded eight million rubles.
According to investigators, the money was intended to facilitate the construction of a school at the budget's expense and to include the project in the regional development program. Lysenko is accused of receiving a bribe on an especially large scale (Part 6, Article 290 of the Criminal Code). His subordinate was also detained—he is charged with mediation in bribery (Part 4, Article 291.1 of the Criminal Code).
A source from *161.ru* in law enforcement reported that the mayor was caught red-handed on the evening of May 13. According to the source, Lysenko had demanded a bribe of 20 million rubles.
Additionally, the publication’s interlocutor noted that other cases may be brought against the mayor: "The bribe was just the pretext. Lysenko had been under surveillance for a long time, and his phone was tapped. Investigators have information about land fraud, housing for participants of the SVO [special military operation], and abuse of power."
Yuri Lysenko became mayor of Novocherkassk in 2020. His predecessor, Igor Zyuzin, was arrested on similar charges. According to investigators, in 2017, while serving as mayor of Zverevo, he and his deputy received 2.6 million rubles from the head of a construction firm. In 2023, Zyuzin was sentenced to eight years in a strict-regime penal colony.