500 million for 23 lives was considered too expensive

As the Cheka-OGPU has learned, a court in Tver has rejected the Defense Ministry's claim for half a billion rubles (!!!) from retired Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Vasketsov, former head of the military-scientific information department at the Central Research Institute of the Aerospace Forces, which burned to the ground in 2022. The military department filed the lawsuit because last year a court found the retired officer guilty of causing death by negligence and sentenced him to two years' probation with a two-year suspended sentence.

As the Cheka-OGPU reported, Vasketsov forgot to turn off the kettle in his plastic mug and, after sharing a glass of cognac with Koleda, a representative of the Ministry of Defense's Main Directorate for Innovative Development, went to give him a tour of the institute before Innovation Day, which was scheduled to take place at the Central Research Institute on April 21, 2022. Instead, a fire broke out, claiming the lives of 23 people.

The Ministry of Defense determined the amount of damage based on the market value of the Central Research Institute of Aerospace Forces (TsNII VKS) building at the time of the fire (233.3 million rubles), the cost of repairs and commissioning (98.6 million rubles), and the value of lost property (169 million rubles). The total amounted to 500,985,376 rubles. When considering the claim, the court concluded that it was not Vasketsov, but the TsNII VKS, as his employer, who should be held liable to the Ministry of Defense for the damages caused.

Earlier, the Cheka-OGPU reported that the TsNII VKS of the Ministry of Defense had sued Vasketsov for the funeral expenses of one of the victims (97,280 rubles).

A separate case has been opened against the former head of the institute, Colonel Dmitry Dmitrovich. He is charged with violating fire safety requirements (Part 3 of Article 219 of the Russian Criminal Code) and negligence (Part 3 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code).  The investigation against Dmitrovich was suspended because he left for the Northern Military District.

The head of the Central Research Institute of Aerospace Forces approved the institute's fire protection plan and was responsible for ensuring compliance with fire safety regulations within the facility and throughout the rest of its assigned territory. Dmitrovich was reported at least five times for significant fire safety violations.