February 27, 2026
The founder of Readovka, one of Russia’s biggest pro-war Telegram channels, is jailed on charges of stealing $13 million meant for military drones
A Moscow court has ordered the pretrial detention of Alexey Kostylev, founder of the pro-war news outlet Readovka. According to reports from the hearing, Kostylev is suspected of large-scale fraud involving a Defense Ministry contract for the supply of military drones. Investigators allege that he embezzled one billion rubles (nearly $13 million). RBC’s sources said Kostylev was detained on Wednesday, February 25, in connection with a criminal investigation launched against unnamed suspects last September. He has been remanded in custody until April 25.
TL;DR
- Alexey Kostylev, founder of Readovka, is in pretrial detention for alleged large-scale fraud.
- He is suspected of embezzling nearly $13 million from a Defense Ministry contract for military drones.
- Kostylev's outlets, Russkaya Zhizn and Readovka, have commented on his situation, mentioning medical issues and denying direct ties to the fraud allegations.
- Readovka, originally a liberal blog, shifted to an ultra-patriotic stance after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and received guidance from a pro-Kremlin organization.
- Readovka was reportedly sold in 2025 to an ANO Dialog associate, with some reports linking the ownership change to a probe into state fund theft.
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