The court acquitted the former head of the Nizhny Novgorod government affairs.

      On July 17, 2026, at 17:19, Incidents The Nizhny Novgorod District Court acquitted former head of the regional government’s affairs, Yuri Bortnikov, as reported by NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" in the regional court. He was accused of allegedly spending 5 million rubles illegally on the renovation of an official apartment for the deputy governor. Initially, he was charged with embezzlement (part 3 of article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and later with a crime committed in connection with personal interest (part 1 of article 285.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Bortnikov was in pre-trial detention and fully denied his guilt. The defense was confident from the very beginning that there was no crime in their client's actions. As a result, on July 17, the court decided that there was no crime in Bortnikov's actions. It was previously reported that in 2026, eight petitions for clemency were submitted in the Nizhny Novgorod region. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When republishing, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is required. This resource may contain materials 18+.