A criminal embezzlement case against former Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat executive Airat Karimov was terminated after he received a military decoration. The circumstances emerged from records of related civil court proceedings.
According to documents obtained by the outlet, the decision to terminate the criminal proceedings was made on December 12, 2025, under Article 78.1 of Russia's Criminal Code. That provision establishes special grounds for release from criminal liability in connection with military service. Termination on that basis is not an acquittal, but neither does it mean that a court convicted Karimov through a guilty verdict.
The documents refer to alleged losses totaling 180.8 million rubles in connection with the case. On August 24, 2026, a court upheld a civil claim, but the amount awarded was concealed in the published, anonymized decision. The alleged losses cannot automatically be treated as the amount confirmed by the civil judgment.
The civil case was registered at the Moscow City Court's appellate level on October 26, 2026. The public records do not show who filed the appeal, and no ruling on it had been issued at that point. The question of compensation is being considered separately from the terminated criminal proceedings.