Embezzlement of budget funds

Main article: Crime in Russia

History

2025: Ministry of Internal Affairs: Criminals withdrew 154 billion rubles from the Russian budget in 2025, the number of crimes increased by 12 %

In 2025, over 13 thousand crimes in the public sector were identified in Russia. This is 12% more compared to the previous year, which was announced in early February 2026 by the head of the Main Directorate of Economic Security and Anti-Corruption (GUEBiPK) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, Police Lieutenant General Andrei Kurnosenko.

According to him, the total damage from these atrocities amounted to over 154 billion rubles, which exceeds the 2024 figure by almost 20 billion rubles. Approximately 80% of documented crimes in the public sector are committed on a large and especially large scale.

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Фото: Freepik

The most common schemes include overstating the value of government contracts, misuse of budget funds, fraud with social benefits and subsidies. Kurnosenko emphasizes that such frauds allow attackers to enrich themselves with money intended for the implementation of vital social programs and infrastructure projects. Embezzlement of budget funds allocated under such programs not only causes financial damage, but also generates a whole chain of negative consequences that lead to a slowdown in the development of regions and a decrease in the quality of life of citizens.

In 2025, in order to compensate for damage from crimes in the public sector, assets of defendants in criminal cases in the amount of over 190 billion rubles were seized, which is almost a quarter more than the damage caused. For comparison, in 2024, assets worth 143 billion rubles were seized, that is, an increase of 32.9% was noted.

{{The task of preventing and preventing illegal encroachments on budget funds today is at the forefront of our service. Serious results have been achieved in this area of ​ ​ work, - says Kurnosenko.^[1]}}

2024: Initiation of 1.3 thousand criminal cases on embezzlement of budget funds, compensation of 26 billion rubles

In 2024, 1.3 thousand criminal cases of embezzlement of budget funds were initiated in Russia, while 26 billion rubles were returned to the federal budget. This is evidenced by the data of the report of Rosfinmonitoring, published in July 2025.

Rosfinmonitoring revealed violations in the field of public procurement, sending over 15 thousand materials to law enforcement and regulatory authorities in relation to 236 thousand legal entities. As a result, the illegal activities of public procurement participants in the amount of about 39 billion rubles were suppressed, and the embezzlement of budget funds for 27 billion rubles was prevented. In the field of state defense order (GOZ) at the end of 2024, the department controlled more than 8 thousand contracts with a total value of 10.6 trillion rubles. As a result of monitoring, 2.3 thousand materials were prepared in relation to 60 thousand suppliers, which made it possible to prevent the theft of 19.8 billion rubles and initiate 140 criminal cases.

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Фото: Freepik

As part of the implementation of national projects, the department monitored the execution of 56 thousand state contracts worth 5 trillion rubles. According to the results of the inspections, 350 criminal cases were initiated with damage over 3.3 billion rubles, more than 1 billion rubles were returned to the budget and about 2 billion rubles were saved from theft.

Rosfinmonitoring also monitored 2.5 thousand federal and 10.5 thousand regional system-forming enterprises, more than half of which participate in the execution of state contracts, including GOZ. Over 850 materials were sent, which led to the initiation of 38 criminal cases with damage of about 20 billion rubles. Theft of 10 billion rubles was prevented, 16 billion rubles were returned to the budget.

According to the report, state customers entered into 3.58 million contracts totaling 11.98 trillion rubles (including purchases carried out in 2023).^[2]

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