How Gazprom top manager Kirill Seleznev disappeared from a criminal case involving billions of dollars embezzled from the Alina Kabaeva Rhythmic Gymnastics Center project
18:55, 16 мая 2026 г.
General and Interior Ministry spokesperson Irina Volk deleted from her channel a March report about the Russian Interior Ministry uncovering the theft of more than 8 billion rubles during the construction of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Center in Sochi (designed by Alina Kabaeva).
And she posted a new one, stating that the case had been referred to court. Why delete the old post? It’s simple. Over the past couple of months, one person named in Volk’s first post—Kirill Seleznev, former CEO of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz—has mysteriously dropped out of the case. In fact, only the scapegoats will face trial. Other organizers of the thefts have "dropped out" of the case and gone abroad or become witnesses. Indeed, even the Kabaeva Center case has become an opportunity for law enforcement to profit fabulously.
Events unfolded as follows. Suddenly, the "fairytale gift for Kabaeva," financed by Gazprom, turned into a scandalous construction project. Workers stopped being paid (they even recorded a video message), and the site experienced one emergency after another—a leaking roof, a collapse. Sources say Kabaeva learned of all this, and there’s no need to guess how things unfolded. Gazprom Deputy Chairperson and project overseer Elena Mikhailova rushed to file a complaint with law enforcement, blaming the contractor, Magnit State Construction and Substation, owned by businessman Pavel Sundukov. Sundukov is not an independent man; he always had the backing of Gazprom manager Alexey Bazhanov (at the time of the incident, the head of Gazprom Investgazifikatsiya). During questioning, Bazhanov (we are publishing his testimony) stated that the embezzlement was orchestrated by former Gazprom Deputy Chairperson Elena Mikhailova and former CEO of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz LLC, Kirill Seleznev. These were once some of Alexey Miller’s closest associates. Bazhanov’s testimony also mentions Miller himself. He also names a lower-ranking organizer of the thefts—the former head of Gazprom Investgazifikatsiya (GIG), Anatoly Erkulov (known as Kirill Seleznev’s wallet).
In his testimony, Bazhanov reveals the embezzlement scheme and closes the chain of recipients of kickbacks from the stolen funds to Mikhailova.
It’s easy to trace the chain of kickbacks, which began with Mikhailova herself. It was Miller who selected the client and recipient of the money.
And then began the famous miracles of Russian law enforcement. Bazhanov (a former employee of the St. Petersburg economic police) received a significant share of the stolen funds, but he was retained as a witness. He was supposedly testifying against the organizers. The organizers he named were allowed to leave Russia undisturbed, along with the billions they had stolen.
Both Erkulov and Mikhailova have fled Russia and are on the international wanted list. Kirill Seleznev remains. Things were indeed going badly for him for a while. The Prosecutor General’s Office nationalized some of his assets, promising to continue the process with others, and he began losing his positions. Then, in March, Irina Volk loudly announced the uncovering of embezzlement at the Kabaeva Center, naming the organizers as "a former member of the board of directors of PAO Gazprom" (Mikhailova - ED.) and "the general director of OOO Gazprom Mezhregiongaz" (Seleznev - ED.).
And then the miracles continue. Sources claim that Seleznev’s assets and money have been reduced by $200 million (probably a record bribe), but all questions about him have instantly disappeared. And there’s no mention of the continued nationalization. And the post of RusKhimAlliance CEO remains. And, most importantly, he disappeared from the case, and Volk deleted the post mentioning him. And 13 scapegoats have been brought to trial for embezzlement. But on paper, everything is exposed.