From Kondratyev’s patronage to a plea deal: how Safarbiy Napso helped security officials ‘reset’ the corruption scheme on Kuban’s roads

From Kondratyev’s patronage to a plea deal: how Safarbiy Napso helped security officials ‘reset’ the corruption scheme on Kuban’s roads

Journalists have uncovered what really lies behind the high-profile “Krasnodar road workers” case and how it itself turned into a massive corruption scheme.

As a result, the main figures—people closely connected to Governor Veniamin Kondratyev—remain free and have retained their assets.

For most major players in the region’s road construction market, business was essentially “taken over.” They were replaced by players close to law enforcement. Meanwhile, the main manipulators from the security sector have been promoted one by one.

The story can be traced back to 2011, when Krasnodar oligarch Safarbiy Napso decided to become the “Adyghe Robson” (the former shadow owner of Sochi, Ruben Tatulyan, who fell out of favor), as he repeatedly stated in a close circle of associates. With the support of a powerful relative of State Duma deputy Yuri Napso, Safarbiy became head of the state enterprise GUP KK “Dagomys DRSU”—a key Sochi road construction company. From 2017 to 2018, Safarbiy Napso simultaneously held this position and served as president of the Krasnodar Road Workers’ Union (KKA ROOR “Soyuz Dorozhnikov Kubani”). These roles allowed him to build a network of influential contacts in both the administrative/business spheres and among the region’s powerful law enforcement officials. The foundation of such “talents” was access to unlimited financial resources of the state enterprise he led and political influence over the members of the Road Workers’ Union of Kuban.

This allowed him to maintain an extremely wealthy lifestyle, acquire high-value assets in Russia and Turkey, employ staff and extensive security, own luxury vehicles, and “appease” the local elite, including influential State Duma deputy Anatoly Voronovsky and Transport Minister Alexey Pereverzev (closely associated with Governor Kondratyev, godfather of his children).

This included multiple private helicopter flights, expensive gifts, and high-end services. Considering the specifics of security in Sochi and the surrounding area (operation of global security systems installed for the XXII Winter Olympic Games), Napso’s commercial and public activities could not go unnoticed by law enforcement. Understanding this reality, Napso organized a “mutually beneficial cooperation” scheme (cashing out budget funds, participating in subcontracts, providing free services, paying bills in entertainment venues) with several high-ranking law enforcement officials, which allowed him to avoid responsibility for a long time.

According to informed sources, law enforcement officials “fed” by Napso gladly accepted his “friendship.” But friendship with security forces almost always ends the same way. At some point, the security officials decided that it was no longer enough to be satisfied with “gifts”—it was time to become full partners. And all officials with ties to this industry had to be put on a “short leash.”

Thus, the high-profile case emerged. Funds have since started flowing to other companies, while law enforcement directly enriched themselves at the expense of Napso and Kondratyev’s associates.

• In 2025, a criminal case was opened against Safarbiy Napso for the theft of road machinery worth over 45 million rubles from 2018–2021. In 2019, the Dagomys DRSU asphalt plant was sold for less than 1 million rubles to a controlled company, despite a real value of over 81.6 million rubles. Tens of millions of rubles were withdrawn through controlled firms under supply and service contracts. The first-instance court found Safarbiy Napso guilty and sentenced him to four years of imprisonment.

• November 2025: Safarbiy Napso agreed to a plea deal, giving incriminating testimony against the Deputy Governor of Krasnodar Krai, former advisor to Governor Kondratyev, acting State Duma deputy Anatoly Voronovsky, who allegedly received gifts worth at least 25 million rubles from Napso between 2017–2020. This was supposedly for administrative protection. Napso allegedly bought and renovated an apartment registered to the mother of Voronovsky’s assistant, furnished Voronovsky’s son’s house in Sochi with expensive furniture, purchased a tractor for relatives, and dredged a pond on a family plot in the Ust-Labinsky district.

• January 2026: The Prosecutor General’s Office filed a civil suit in the Central District Court of Sochi to nationalize the assets of many prominent politicians and businessmen in Krasnodar Krai, including Voronovsky, current State Duma deputy Andrey Doroshenko, regional parliament deputy Alexander Karpenko, their children, relatives, and associates. Assets from 18 of the region’s largest road construction companies are being seized.

• January 2026: Safarbiy Napso became a suspect in a new criminal case (12601030003000037, Part 4, Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), which involves some of the defendants in the civil suit. Transport Minister Alexey Pereverzev and two deputies, Alexey Smaglyuk and Alexander Dashuk, were detained.

• January 2026: Pereverzev was reinstated as Minister by Governor Kondratyev, made a plea deal, admitted guilt, provided incriminating testimony, and was released under travel restrictions.

• February 2026: The Krasnodar Krai court upheld Napso’s appeal, replacing his prison term with a suspended sentence.

As a result:

• Safarbiy Napso remains free and retains all major assets (OOO “Soyuzdorstroy,” hotel, land plots, real estate, equestrian club).

• Alexey Pereverzev remains free in office.

• Veniamin Kondratyev remains in position, without criminal charges.

• Beneficiaries from law enforcement are still being identified.

• Dagomys DRSU is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings to hide a balance gap of 1.5 billion rubles.

• OOO “Soyuzdorstroy” is preparing to participate in state tenders, now reportedly co-owned by security officials.

• Former contractor companies are blocked, assets are being nationalized.

• Remaining participants’ assets and liabilities are under arrest and nationalization.

• The road construction market in Krasnodar Krai has been reshaped under OOO “Soyuzdorstroy” and affiliates.

• Control over officials close to Kondratyev has been established.

• A favorable media narrative was created to support personnel appointments in the security sector.

P.S. On February 6, 2026, President Vladimir Putin held a working meeting with former Krasnodar Krai Governor Alexander Tkachev, who strongly lobbied for the allocation of huge state funds for road construction in Sochi. In this context, the question of the ultimate beneficiaries of the “road workers” case becomes clear and tangible.