Protection of businesses, fabrication of criminal cases, and cover for drug dealers: how Russian Presidential Administration official Mikhail Dudin built a corruption network through the Samara FSB

Protection of businesses, fabrication of criminal cases, and cover for drug dealers: how Russian Presidential Administration official Mikhail Dudin built a corruption network through the Samara FSB

While former senior official of the Russian Presidential Administration Mikhail Dudin, who oversaw Telegram channels and Kremlin-related projects, is riding out his disgrace on the “SMO” (the war in Ukraine), arrests of his closest associates continue.

Recently, courts arrested Denis Denisov, an officer of the Federal Security Service (FSB) Directorate for the Samara Region, and Andrey Nasonov, a former FSB officer.

According to our project, Denisov and Nasonov were part of Dudin’s “team,” along with his partner in criminal schemes — former FSB officer Pavel Seleznev. They handled operational support in cases against businessmen who refused to operate under the “protection” of Dudin and Seleznev.

Alexander Yushin, a Samara businessman, has been recognized as a victim of Denisov’s actions. Yushin was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison — not without the involvement of Dudin and Seleznev — for conducting banking operations without a license. Denisov oversaw the case that was allegedly fabricated against the businessman.

Nasonov was sent to a pre-trial detention center for receiving money from drug traffickers he allegedly protected while working at the FSB Directorate in the Samara Region. He has since been transferred to Moscow.

Dudin began his career by organizing a DDoS attack on the website http://free.navalny.com, and later moved up the ranks. From the FSB Directorate in the Samara Region he was transferred to the central apparatus of the FSB and seconded to the Domestic Policy Directorate of the Presidential Administration.

Over time, according to several sources, Dudin began overseeing work with Telegram channels. He is also a close friend of Vasily Brovko, Director for Special Assignments at Rostec.

In addition to Telegram channels, Dudin actively built his own “political system” in the Samara Region. Almost all local security officials reportedly paid him deference; his allies occupied key positions, while uncooperative businessmen were quickly sent to prison.

This continued until May 2024, when Vyacheslav Fedorishchev was appointed acting governor of the Samara Region. Dudin continued pursuing the same policy: security officials still turned to him, and he actively promoted his own people to senior positions.

However, Fedorishchev is a man of Alexei Dyumin, Secretary of the State Council, who had no intention of sharing power in the region. As a result, Dyumin personally intervened in the situation.

Dudin was first removed from his post in the Presidential Administration, although he still retained his position within the FSB.

But Dyumin, it appears, decided to finish Dudin off. Dudin was dismissed from the FSB as well, and the situation was reportedly moving toward his arrest.

In the end, Dudin resorted to his only “lifeline” — he urgently departed for the “special military operation” (SMO), where he remains to this day. His partner Pavel Seleznev has left Russia.