A former Russian deputy minister has fled from Moscow to the United States
Denis Butsaev, former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and former head of the Russian Environmental Operator, left Russia on the day of his resignation. He is believed to have fled to the United States.
This was reported by the Russian publication Vedomosti, citing sources.
On April 22, Russian Prime Minister Mishustin dismissed Denis Butsaev from his post as deputy head of the Ministry of Natural Resources. That same day, the official left Russia for Minsk.
In late April, anonymous Telegram channels reported on the opening of a criminal case against Valdayev, director of the Russian Environmental Operator (REO). According to Vedomosti, criminal cases were opened against two other top REO managers, and Butsaev himself is mentioned in the case files.
According to a Faridaily source, Butsaev fled Russia as early as April 18, and the decree on his dismissal was signed after his departure.
“According to our sources, Butsaev hurriedly left for Minsk, and from there to Tbilisi. As a result, the official made it to the U.S., two sources reported,” writes Faridaily.
This is the first known case of a sitting official of this rank fleeing the country. It is also the first case since 2024 in which a civil servant has managed to escape criminal prosecution.
“He was lucky to have friends who warned him in time,” notes one of the publication’s sources close to the government.
As a reminder, Russia is preparing to send the deputy head of the Kremlin’s main state bank to prison.
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has filed a lawsuit to confiscate the property of former First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Ruslan Tsalikov and his relatives.
Journalists have uncovered another property belonging to the family of the arrested former First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Ruslan Tsalikov. It is a 618-square-meter house in Barvys, which had not previously been mentioned in investigations.
