# Russia opens treason investigation into former Communist faction leader

https://mins.news/en/item/121282

- Meduza, 2026-10-29 18:16 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/10/29/russia-opens-treason-case-against-76-year-old-former-communist-faction-leader-over-alleged-ukrainian-intelligence-ties

> Russia’s FSB says former Murmansk Regional Duma deputy speaker Gennady Stepakhno is being investigated for treason. The agency alleges the 76-year-old collected information on regional government work and engineering facilities and passed it to Ukrainian military intelligence. A court has ordered him held in pretrial detention.