Evgenia Uvarkina’s gubernatorial business project: How the senator seeks power in the Lipetsk region amid land fraud and prosecutor’s office "cleansing"

According to the source, Evgenia Uvarkina, a senator representing the region, is being considered for the position of Governor of the Lipetsk Oblast. Given the probability that current Governor Igor Artamonov will move to a federal-level position—supported by his long-time mentor, Sberbank Chairman Herman Gref—a change in leadership could occur as early as 2026.

Uvarkina’s candidacy is considered viable due to her track record, extensive connections, and the substantial financial resources of her family. On the other hand, Governor Artamonov himself could negatively impact her appointment, as he has a complex history with the senator he appointed. During Uvarkina’s tenure as Mayor of the regional capital (2019–2024), she frequently emphasized not only her exceptional status within the Governor’s team but also a high degree of autonomy in decision-making.

Using the levers of her office, Uvarkina actively promoted private business interests. Major contracts were awarded to companies owned by Alexander Kofanov, a Lipetsk City Council deputy close to the Mayor. Uvarkina’s brother, Dmitry Zakhvatayev, and his company, LLC "Russoshki," were involved in municipal waste disposal as well as the renovation of the Komsomolsky Pond. After the work was paid for, it was discovered that the projects were incomplete and plagued by defects.

Uvarkina masterfully navigated the friction between Governor Artamonov and Vladimir Lisin, the owner of the region’s largest enterprise, NLMK, successfully charming the oligarch. Thanks to the Mayor’s connections, LLC "Promstroy Expert" (nominally owned by City Council deputy Polosin), a company affiliated with the Uvarkin family, became a major contractor for NLMK. Uvarkina is also active in expanding her political network. Her friendship with former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov is viewed negatively, though this is currently offset by her confidential rapport with the leadership of the Federation Council. Her promotion is also actively supported by a high-ranking official in the Presidential Administration and leaders of other federal agencies.

However, law enforcement agencies could hinder Uvarkina’s path to the governorship. Numerous instances of legal violations have been reported involving officials in the Dolgorukovsky District, which is considered the stronghold of the Uvarkin family’s key agricultural business. In the fall of 2025, the Dolgorukovsky District Prosecutor’s Office brought to court another case of abuse of power by a rural settlement head. The official illegally sold a plot of land to an organization at a deflated price without a tender, causing damages of approximately 5 million rubles.

Over the last year, a wave of criminal cases regarding "abuse of official powers resulting in grave consequences" (Paragraph "v," Part 3, Article 286 of the Criminal Code) has hit municipal officials, dating back to the period of 2000–2010. The narrative is consistent: an unnamed agricultural enterprise illegally bought up farmland at significantly undervalued prices, causing budget losses. Former district head Sarayev was convicted of selling 800 hectares of farmland at a discount in just two proven instances, resulting in a 25-million-ruble loss to the local budget.

Damages from the currently active criminal cases alone amount to tens of millions of rubles (at prices from over a decade ago). Observers note that the investigation is proceeding rapidly, often without a proper assessment of all accompanying circumstances.

Information regarding the corrupt nature of these deals has been intentionally excluded from the case files. Cases are framed as "abuse of power" by officials, quickly investigated, and sent to court. Investigators and prosecutors appear uninterested in the actual facts of these numerous cases or the testimonies the defendants are willing to provide. In reality, there were multiple instances of officials abusing their positions to benefit entrepreneurs in exchange for material rewards.

Officials illegally sold land plots to the well-known holding "Agrofirma Trio" at reduced rates in exchange for promises of "social assistance" to the municipalities. While the promised social aid never materialized, personal assistance to the officials was provided. Specifically, investigators ignored information regarding the transfer of various gifts, including vehicles, to the defendants under the guise of "social" help.

Thus, actions that fall under "pecuniary" Articles 285 (Abuse of Office) and 290 (Bribing) of the Criminal Code—which would allow for the confiscation of property under Article 104.1—were instead qualified merely as "exceeding official powers." Furthermore, the case files omit the fact that agreements were made personally with Uvarkina, the head and co-owner of the agricultural holding, who was then acting as a public assistant to former Governor Korolev. These actions by Uvarkina could be qualified as fraud and bribery of an official.

The defendant Sarayev, who provided detailed testimony, was strongly "recommended" by an investigator to enlist for the Special Military Operation (SMO), which he did. This leads to the conclusion that the Uvarkin family’s land fund, totaling tens of thousands of hectares, was acquired illegally. Given this information, the Prosecutor’s Office is obligated to reclassify the case under the relevant corruption articles and file for the confiscation of the illegally acquired property.

Sensing potential consequences, Uvarkina is taking steps to liquidate the illegally obtained assets. For instance, a portion of the land was purchased by an entrepreneur also named Uvarkin. This aligns with Uvarkina’s broader business strategy: projects are created using budget financing (her companies remain the largest recipients of Ministry of Agriculture funds) and fraudulent schemes, and are then sold to "bona fide" new owners. This scheme has functioned for years due to numerous "entry points" into federal structures established by Uvarkina.

Uvarkina has managed to avoid negative consequences thanks to her ties with law enforcement and a personal friendship with the regional Prosecutor, Anisimov. Anisimov is reportedly a frequent guest at the "Oleniy Park" luxury hotel, owned by the senator’s family and built using federal subsidies intended for ecotourism. It is unsurprising that with the support of an official of such rank, Uvarkina confidently expects to secure the governor’s seat, which she views as merely another business project.