FSB, “special military operation,” and blackmail: a Moscow region gang led by ex-FSB lieutenant colonel and convicted killer Poyarkov caught extorting money under the guise of raising funds for the army

A group of servicemen involved in the “special military operation” was engaged in extorting money in the Moscow region, with alleged involvement from former FSB lieutenant colonel Sergey Poyarkov and a so-called “fake general” Vladimir Volkov.

In the Moscow region, an entire group of military personnel has been detained on suspicion of extorting money from a businessman under the pretext of collecting funds for “humanitarian aid.” According to media reports, the target was identified by Sergey Poyarkov, a former head of the town of Protvino and an FSB lieutenant colonel who had previously been convicted of bribery and the murder of a lawyer.

After his conviction, Poyarkov served his sentence in a penal colony for former law enforcement officers near Ryazan, where he met Vladimir Volkov, known as a “fake general,” who had been convicted of drug-related offenses and illegal weapons possession. Both later signed contracts with the Ministry of Defense and were sent to the “special military operation.”

While in service, they allegedly organized an extortion scheme. Acting on Poyarkov’s tip, a businessman in the Moscow region was targeted, and servicemen demanded money from him under the guise of supporting the army. During a subsequent visit, the group of contract soldiers, along with their commander, was detained and placed in a detention facility in Naro-Fominsk.