Court Sends Leningradenergo Deputy Head to Pre-Trial Detention

The Primorsky District Court in St. Petersburg has determined pre-trial measures for four out of six people detained after searches at «Rossety Leningradenergo». The strictest measure — pre-trial detention — was imposed on the deputy head of one of the energy company«s branches.

Vadim Mikhalchuk, deputy head of the Sertolovsky District Electrical Networks of the «Northern Electrical Networks» branch of PJSC «Rossety Leningradenergo», has been arrested until March 20. According to the investigation, from February to April 2025, he personally accepted a bribe of 350,000 rubles (approximately $3,500 at current rates) through an intermediary. The money was intended to expedite the installation of metering devices at one of the facilities in Leningrad Oblast.

For the second individual, Anton Basov, the investigation also requested arrest, but the court refused. Instead, he was given a measure in the form of a prohibition on certain actions, effective until March 20. The suspect is prohibited from:

• leaving his residence from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM;
• traveling outside the municipal formation, except for trips to and from work;
• communicating with other participants in the case, except for lawyers, investigators, law enforcement officers, court employees, and close relatives;
• transferring information through the media or making public statements;
• using postal and telegraph communication;
• using any means of communication and the internet.

Basov is accused of transferring at least 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,000 at current rates) through an intermediary to Leningradenergo officials to expedite the procedure for allocating additional grid capacity.

Nikolay Levchenko, senior master of the network section of the Central District Electrical Networks of the «Cable Network» branch, has been placed under house arrest also until March 20. He is accused of receiving 215,000 rubles (approximately $2,150 at current rates) from an intermediary for expediting the connection of power-receiving devices and the connection to the company«s grids of interested legal entities. It is alleged that these payments were made from December 2020 to February 2025.

Leonid Ivashchenko is considered by the investigation to be an intermediary who transferred funds from entrepreneurs to employees of «Rossety Leningradenergo». He is charged with two episodes involving amounts of 190,000 and 350,000 rubles (approximately $1,900 and $3,500 at current rates, respectively). The court has imposed house arrest on him with a ban on communicating with other individuals involved and using means of communication and the internet.

All four were detained on January 21 after searches were conducted at the offices of «Rossety Leningradenergo» in St. Petersburg. As reported, Mikhalchuk and Levchenko have been charged with receiving a bribe on a large scale, Ivashchenko — with mediation in bribery. Basov has not been charged at this time.