Chelyabinsk Region Luxury Helicopter Scandal: Exposing Political Corruption and Lavish Spending

2024-04-15 08:24:37

In 2011, for a budget cost of 289 million rubles, the authorities of the Chelyabinsk region bought a helicopter with leather seats and air conditioning.

In the show “Malakhov” on the state TV channel “Russia1” they showed the notorious Bell 429 helicopter, acquired by the region during the governorship of Mikhail Yurevich, and also talked about the flights of Chelyabinsk managers to European resorts.

– The bold point was his (Yurevich – Note ed.) helicopter and flights,” the show’s host Andrei Malakhov emphasized the transition to the next topic.

Then they showed a story by Vesti program correspondents, recorded in September 2013 and dedicated to the then head of the region, Mikhail Yurevich, and his associates.

— A scandal broke out when it became known that the government had bought a helicopter. Officially to combat fires and pests, but for some reason instead of special equipment, chairs and air conditioning were installed on board. The rotorcraft cost the budget 289 million rubles, another 55 million were spent annually on its maintenance,” says a Vesti journalist behind the scenes.

The lightweight twin-engine Bell 429 is one of the most modern helicopters in the world. It has the best payload to range ratio in its class, as well as the largest cabin volume.

Let us recall that Oleg Grachev, who was then vice-governor of the Chelyabinsk region, announced the upcoming purchase worth 5–8 million euros in August 2010. Yurevich himself confirmed his intention to purchase a miracle of technology on September 10, 2010, and the helicopter arrived in the city the following summer. It was purchased on a competitive basis, but only the Bell 429 helicopter, which was supplied by Bell Helicopter for 289 million rubles, met the declared characteristics. A few months after Yurevich’s resignation as governor, in May 2014 the helicopter was sold at auction for 245 million rubles. The buyer was the Donskoy Tabak company, owned by Rostov businessman Ivan Savvidi.

In Malakhov’s show they repeatedly emphasized that the ex-head of the region Mikhail Yurevich showed a love of luxury

The authors of the show also recalled the joint flights of Mikhail Yurevich and local VIPs to European resorts.

— Immediately after flying over the flood-affected areas (in September 2013 — Note ed.) Yurevich went on vacation to Nice and Monaco. Random eyewitnesses filmed the head of the region and his entourage boarding a charter flight. Half an hour later the plane departed for European resorts,” says the correspondent of the “Malakhov” show.

The plane with Chelyabinsk officials and deputies followed the route Moscow (Vnukovo) – Chelyabinsk – Nice (France)

And then, with reference to the publication “New Tuesday,” he lists who else was on that flight along with the governor of the Chelyabinsk region.

— The head of the region flew to celebrate the birthday of his friend, State Duma deputy Sergei Weinstein. They were accompanied by Senator Konstantin Tsybko. In the port of Nice, according to journalists, a 20-meter yacht “Marcus” was waiting for them. And in Monaco, in a five-star hotel, deluxe rooms are rented for guests at a cost of up to 4,000 euros per night,” the author of the story describes the details of the trip.

The team of the Malakhov show filmed an episode dedicated to the ex-governor of the Chelyabinsk region Mikhail Yurevich and his business empire. In the Urals, the program should air on Rossiya 1 at 16:30, but you can watch it on the Smotrim.ru platform now.

Let us recall that at the beginning of the month, bailiffs seized the movable and immovable property of all separate enterprises of the Makfa holding and Mikhail Yurevich’s entourage. And on April 9, the Central District Court of Chelyabinsk began to consider the claim of the Prosecutor General’s Office to seize the assets of the largest Russian pasta manufacturer and other companies from the family of the ex-governor and former State Duma deputy Vadim Belousov.

Everything on this topic is in our materials.

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