In Yekaterinburg, the father of the former head of FBK Leonid Volkov was searched

Pro-Kremlin media write that he is suspected of financing extremism

In Yekaterinburg, security forces came to search the house of Mikhail Volkov, the father of opposition leader and former director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) Leonid Volkov. Kremlin-controlled media write that he was detained on suspicion of financing FBK, which Russian authorities consider an extremist organization. Leonid Volkov, however, does not confirm this information.

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Volkov Sr. is being searched by the FSB

The UralLive telegram channel, associated with the Yekaterinburg team of propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, was one of the first to report the detention of Mikhail Volkov. “The investigation established that Volkov Sr. transferred money to the account of FBK, founded by the late extremist Alexei Navalny,” the report says. According to propagandists, a criminal case has been opened against Volkov under the article on financing extremist activities (Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code).

Mikhail's son Evgeniy confirmed the information about the search to the Yekaterinburg publication It's My City and said that a lawyer had gone to the scene. Leonid Volkov, shortly after the news of the arrest appeared, published a video on his Telegram channel in which he said that in fact the father was not detained. FSB officers are conducting search operations in his apartment, and it is unknown whether a criminal case has been initiated.

“Contrary to media reports, he has not been detained, the events are going on right now, I know about this from my lawyer, I, of course, have no contact with my parents. Their equipment will be confiscated and they will be taken further for some investigative actions,” Volkov said .

Previously, Mikhail Volkov was fired from UrFU due to his son’s activities

69-year-old Mikhail Volkov is a Doctor of Science, professor, teacher and former head of the department of algebra and fundamental computer science at the Ural Federal University (Ural Federal University). As Leonid Volkov said, in mid-February 2025 he was fired from there one day “in the middle of the semester” after 49 years of work. The dismissal was related to the son’s opposition activities, but until now this has not been publicly announced.

“My father committed two crimes from the point of view of the Putin regime. First of all, he is my father. Secondly, he is a very good and honest person. He is a mathematician, professor, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, head of the department, who trained a bunch of graduate students, doctoral students, and developed a world-class mathematical school in the Urals,” said Leonid Volkov.

The oppositionist himself has not lived in Russia for several years. After FBK and Navalny’s headquarters were recognized as extremist organizations, he was added to the register of terrorists and extremists. Also, several criminal cases were opened against the oppositionist, and in April 2022 he was added to the register of “foreign agents.”

On March 12, 2024, Volkov was attacked near his home in Vilnius. Unknown people attacked the oppositionist with a hammer. They broke the window in Volkov's car and sprayed tear gas in his eyes. The suspects in the attack were two Polish citizens.

Photo: Mikhail Volkov, UrFU

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