Readovka Founder Jailed for Alleged $13 Million Military Drone Fraud

The founder of Readovka, one of Russia’s biggest pro-war Telegram channels, is jailed on charges of stealing $13 million meant for military drones

A Moscow court has ordered the pretrial detention of Alexey Kostylev, founder of the pro-war news outlet Readovka. According to reports from the hearing, Kostylev is suspected of large-scale fraud involving a Defense Ministry contract for the supply of military drones. Investigators allege that he embezzled one billion rubles (nearly $13 million). RBC’s sources said Kostylev was detained on Wednesday, February 25, in connection with a criminal investigation launched against unnamed suspects l...