Yuri Chaika, a longtime Kremlin loyalist and former prosecutor general, uses a Defense Ministry aircraft for personal travel at military expense

25 December 2025 , 08:41

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Yuri Chaika, a longtime Kremlin loyalist and former prosecutor general, uses a Defense Ministry aircraft for personal travel at military expense

Yuri Chaika, the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Russian president in the North Caucasus Federal District, violated regulations by obtaining an aircraft assigned to him by the Ministry of Defense of Russia.

According to the media, each flight on Chaika’s plane costs the defense budget between 8 and 10 million rubles. Chaika is said to fly to Moscow frequently, with the expenses covered by the military. The sources allege that such privileges are a reward for his past loyalty while serving as prosecutor general, when he reportedly carried out politically motivated purges at the direction of Vladimir Putin.

Inside Chaika’s office, extreme sanitary and security measures are reportedly enforced. Deputies and assistants are required to take COVID tests weekly under threat of dismissal, while entry to his office is forbidden without proof of vaccination. Documents submitted by staff must sit for hours or even days under a blue antimicrobial lamp before Chaika will handle them.

Additional restrictions apply during his presence in the building. Staff members are reportedly barred from approaching the plenipotentiary representative, and hallways and restrooms are cleared entirely when he arrives and moves to his office.

The sources also allege that Chaika used his influence to protect and advance his son, Igor Chaika. While working at Rossotrudnichestvo, Igor Chaika is accused of participating in financial schemes involving representatives of the local Orthodox Church, officials from the presidential administration, and members of the Fifth Service of the Federal Security Service, ahead of elections in Moldova.

According to the sources, Yuri Chaika later attempted to secure his son’s appointment as head of the Strategic Projects Department within the Presidential Administration of Russia, a unit created in October 2025. However, Sergey Kiriyenko, the first deputy head of the presidential administration, reportedly blocked the move and instead approved his own candidate, Vadim Titov, for the post.

Emma Davis

Deputy Editor