Varentsov Mikhail Aleksandrovich

Varentsov Mikhail Aleksandrovich

Biography

2025

Arrest in a large-scale fraud case

On April 22, 2025, the 235th Garrison Military Court sent the head of the digital development department information protection National Guard of the Russian Federation and Major General Mikhail Varentsov to the pre-trial detention center. He is a defendant in a criminal case on fraud on an especially large scale.

Varentsov was arrested by the court at the request of the investigation. According to TASS, earlier in the same case, the head of the main center of information technologies of the Russian Guard Nikolai Chepkasov was arrested. This unit is engaged in the information and telecommunication infrastructure of the Russian Guard, automation of the provision of public services, the organization of interdepartmental electronic interaction, information security, as well as import substitution in the field of software.

The court sent General Varentsov to the pre-trial detention center for the duration of the preliminary investigation, informed sources in law enforcement agencies told TASS.

A criminal case was initiated Part 4 of Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - fraud committed by an organized group or on an especially large scale. Such acts are punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years with a fine of up to 1 million rubles or in the amount of the convict's salary or other income for a period of up to three years or without it and with restriction of freedom for up to two years or without it.

The website of the Russian Guard says that in 2021 Varentsov served as head of the information technology department of the Main Communications Department of the Russian Guard. The department does not give official comments on the arrest on April 22, 2025.^[1]

Disclosure of details of a criminal case on charges of damage of 350 million rubles during software development

On September 17, 2025 Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation , he announced the completion of the investigation of the criminal case against the former head of the digital development department information protection National Guard of the Russian Federation and Major General Mikhail Varentsov and the former head of engineering and National Guard Troops Main Information Technology Center technical support. Nikolai Chepkasov

The named persons are accused of abuse of office in the implementation of the national project "Digital Economy of the Russian Federation." The investigation of the case was carried out by employees of the Main Military Investigation Department (GVSU) of the Investigative Committee of Russia. We are talking about three multimillion-dollar contracts concluded in 2019-2020 by the Russian Guard with the Voskhod Research Institute. The performer had to create special software for information processing. Duties to control the implementation of the work were assigned to Varentsov and Chepkasov.

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Фото: Rosgvardia

According to the case file, in 2021-2023, during the implementation of the national project, the defendants, exceeding their official powers, organized the acceptance and payment of software that does not meet the requirements of state contracts. As a result, the Russian Guard suffered material damage in the amount of more than 350 million rubles.

As part of the case, as noted by the TFR, witnesses were interrogated, confrontations were held, objects and documents were seized and examined, forensic examinations were obtained, and evidence was collected that fully confirms the involvement of Varentsov and Chepkasov in this crime. In order to ensure the sentence in terms of the recovery of a fine, civil claim and property recovery at the request of the investigator of the GVSU of the Investigative Committee of Russia, the court seized the property of the accused.^[2]

Sending under house arrest in case of abuse of office

On September 23, 2025, it became known that the 235th Garrison Military Court transferred Mikhail Varentsov, the former head of the Department of Digital Development and Information Protection of the Federal Service of the National Guard of the Russian Federation (Rosgvardia), to house arrest. He is a defendant in a criminal case on abuse of office.

The second accused is the ex-head of the Main Center of the information technology Russian Guard. Nikolay Chepkasov The case is related to the implementation of the national project "." Digital Economy of the Russian Federation According to the investigation, in 2019-2020, the Russian Guard signed three Rising multimillion-dollar contracts with the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Research Institute" to develop a special one for ON information processing. Varentsov and Chepkasov had to control the implementation of the contracts. The case file says that they, exceeding their authority, organized acceptance and payment that did not software meet the requirements. As a result, the conditions of state contracts were not fulfilled, and the Russian Guard suffered damage in the amount of more than 350 million. rubles

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Фото: Rosgvardia

In April 2025, it was reported about the arrest of Varentsov, who has since been in custody. However, according to TASS, the court granted the petition to change Varentsov's preventive measure: he was sent under house arrest for a period of two months.

It is also noted that in mid-March 2025, the court sent Chepkasov to a pre-trial detention center. But since August of this year, a preventive measure has been chosen for him, not related to detention. Both defendants are accused of committing crimes under paragraphs "c," "d" and "e" of part 3 of article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Such acts are punishable by imprisonment for a term of three to ten years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years.^[3]

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