In St. Petersburg yesterday, the head of the Center for Regional Management Elena Nikitina, blogger Nikolai Kamnev, and deputy general director of the TV channel "St. Petersburg" Sergei Syrov were detained. This information was disseminated by the publications "Fontanka" and MR7, citing their sources.
Additionally, among those detained was Nikitina's husband, Sergei Kozhokar, who heads a charity foundation for culture, family, and childhood. Kamnev and Nikitina have already been transported to Moscow, where the Basmanny District Court will soon determine a preventive measure for them.
According to "Fontanka," the detentions are related to a misappropriation case initiated approximately a year ago. The investigation drew attention to contracts with Kamnev's company, which provided media support for the St. Petersburg administration. "Non-core and unconfirmed expenses" were discovered in the grant execution documents.
Elena Nikitina has been leading the Center for Regional Management since 2020. The tasks of this structure include analyzing critical publications by city residents on social media. Nikitina also holds the position of special representative of the governor of St. Petersburg.