“Eagles” from the National Guard failed to cope with drones

“Kommersant” became aware of the details of the criminal case against the head of the department for technical development and resource support of the Maritime Directorate of the Russian Guard Sergei Volkov, who was arrested on Wednesday by a court on charges of abuse of power. According to the investigation, in order not to return the funds allocated for the protection of the Crimean bridge, the colonel organized a purchase for almost 400 million rubles. two radar systems “Orel-UAV”, which, by their characteristics, simply could not withstand enemy drones.

Criminal case against Colonel Volkov under Part 3 of Art. 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (abuse of power, entailing grave consequences), the main military investigative department of the TFR initiated on March 17 of this year. The reason was the materials of the check conducted by the Chief Military Prosecutor’s Office. On March 28, Sergei Volkov was detained by FSB officers in his office in the building of the main command of the Russian Guard on Krasnokazarmennaya Street in Moscow. On the same day, the investigator formally charged him.

It followed from it that in 2020 the Russian Guard was supposed to purchase two radar systems to protect against drones of the Crimean bridge.

However, Colonel Volkov, for some reason, began to carry out the task at the end of September, when the department was already preparing for the closing of the financial year. In this regard, there was a risk of returning to the budget funds received from it, but not spent on complexes. And besides, the case says, the actions of the colonel could lead to a disruption in the execution of the presidential order of 2018 “On the creation of a system for ensuring a transport passage through the Crimean Strait and approaches to it.”

In order to avoid negative consequences for himself, officer Volkov in the same September instructed his subordinates to urgently prepare an application for the purchase of two Orel-UAV complexes from the Rostov Federal State Unitary Enterprise RNIIRS “knowingly”, according to the investigation, knowing that they have worse technical characteristics than was provided for in the terms of reference.

The website of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise, which is considered the oldest defense enterprise in the Rostov region, says that it now produces machine tools, air purification systems and street lamps.

Without informing his management, Sergey Volkov sent the papers he signed to the Department for the Implementation of State Programs and the Organization of Procurement of the Russian Guard, which, based on the results of electronic trading held in October of the same year, where the Federal State Unitary Enterprise was the only participant, concluded a contract with him for the purchase of 395 million 486 thousand 196 rubles two complexes “Eagle-UAV”. They entered service with the 39th Naval Detachment of the Russian Guard.

However, in mid-November 2021, during the practical use of Orlov, experts found that the complexes were not capable of intercepting the flights of small-class drones in a protected area due to the lack of technical feasibility of their radio suppression in certain frequency ranges and even in the most common channels data transmission.

In this regard, at the end of July 2022, the deputy director of the Russian Guard issued an order according to which the operation of the Orel-UAV was suspended. FSUE declined to comment.

Speaking in court, where a preventive measure was chosen for the military man, the investigator of the GVSU ICR said that he had already taken measures to counter the investigation, including to conceal evidence.

So, during the search, the colonel’s mobile phone was found in the washing machine tray, intended for laying washing powder.

According to the defense, who asked for a preventive measure not related to isolation from society, Colonel Volkov, by virtue of his position, could not influence the type and technical characteristics of the complexes for combating drones that entered the troops, as well as the price at which the Russian Guard of their acquired. “All the complexes were successfully delivered to the troops and are being operated,” asserted the defender of Mr. Volkov. According to lawyers, the criminal case against the colonel “is connected with an attempt to shift responsibility on him from the side of higher authorities.”

The court arrested the accused until May 17.