Convicted former Russian mayor cuts jail time short by agreeing to fight in Ukraine
By The Associated Press
Russian local media say a disgraced former mayor convicted over bribery has had his prison sentence cut short after signing a contract to fight with Russia’s military in Ukraine. Oleg Gumenyuk, who served as mayor of the far eastern city of Vladivostok between 2018 and 2021, was convicted last year of accepting bribes worth about $432,000 and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. However, he was released after agreeing to fight in Ukraine, his lawyer told Russian news outlet Kommersant. He said that the politician’s whereabouts were unknown, but that Gumenyuk was instructed to report to his military unit on Dec. 22.