15:34⇢Former Kursk Governor Arrested For Border Fortification Fraud
⌨The newspapers report extensively on the arrest of former Kursk Region Governor Alexei Smirnov, with multiple sources (Interfax, Lenta, Moscow Times, NTV, RBC, RIA Novosti, Vesti) covering the detention. Moscow Times specifies the case involves embezzlement during border fortification construction, while NTV mentions fraud charges. A former vice-governor named Dedov was also detained according to Vesti. In security news, the FSB prevented a terrorist attack at a leisure center in Pyatigorsk (TASS, Rossiyskaya Gazeta). Other stories include US threats of 245% tariffs against China amid escalating trade war (RT) and reports of persecution against gay men in Dagestan involving violence and blackmail (Svoboda).