Searches were conducted at UrFU

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Searches were carried out at the Ural Federal University (UrFU), local publications E1.ru and Vechernie Vedomosti write. The university itself also confirmed the fact of the searches. Security forces checked and seized documents to determine whether they contained signs of financial and economic irregularities.

“Evening Vedomosti” writes that the reason for the searches was suspicions against university employees of fraud with federal real estate. Sources of the publication 66.ru noted that during the searches, information about the withdrawal of money from the university under the guise of salaries is also checked.

In the summer of 2025, the university underwent an inspection at the initiative of the head of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Valery Falkov.

Who else is being searched?

According to local media, searches took place in the offices of university president Viktor Koksharov, first vice-rector Daniil Sandler, chief accountant Gavriil Agarkov and UrFU employee Mikhail Zhabreev.

At the moment, none of them have been detained, but, according to the Independent Union of UrFU Students (IU&SU Global), university employees “may be charged with fraud with the federal property of the university and money laundering.”

“This bombed UrFU! This morning, searches took place in the apartments of Koksharov, Sandler, Zhabreev, and Agarkov. Then the security officers went to their office offices at the university, and high-ranking university leaders were taken to the Investigative Committee. Yeltsin University has never known such a scandal!” said Vadim Dynin, general director of the Uralinformburo news agency.

What could have caused it?

IU&SU Global writes about two possible reasons for the searches, citing sources inside the university. The first is that the information that became the reason for the investigative measures was conveyed by the new head of the university, Ilya Obabkov, who “was initially interested in reforming the university through purges.” The second version is related to the inspection of the Ministry of Education. The university believes that searches can be carried out personally on Falkov’s initiative.

Change of governor and arrests

In 2025, for the first time in 13 years, the Sverdlovsk region changed its governor. Instead of Evgeny Kuyvashev, who resigned, Denis Pasler took the post.

At the same time, a series of arrests took place in Yekaterinburg, during which several oligarchs and officials were arrested, including Housing and Communal Services Minister Nikolai Smirnov and Vice-Governor Oleg Chemezov. The oligarch Alexey Bobrov along with Tatyana Chernykh, two of the three leaders of the STS Corporation, were also under arrest.

Against the backdrop of a change in the leadership of the region, the large pro-government publication Ura.ru also came under pressure, which has now suspended work and is preparing for personnel changes.

Personnel changes affected the entire top editorial staff: Mikhail Vyugin, editor-in-chief Diana Kozlova, her deputy Anton Olshannikov and head of regional editorial offices Igor Sergeev were fired. Tkachenko does not rule out contacting law enforcement agencies, and according to 66.RU sources, his accusations could form the basis of a case of fraud on an especially large scale.

The crisis in the editorial office developed for several months: journalists reported pressure on employees, the possible liquidation of regional divisions and the connection of what was happening with the nationalization of the assets of the actual owners of the publication - businessmen Artyom Bikov and Alexei Bobrov. A source close to the editorial office notes an atmosphere of uncertainty: some people are leaving, some are waiting, and Vyugin himself, who has been involved in propaganda for many years, “ended up leaving for the EU” - which is perceived by the team with irony.