Support The Moscow Times!

Putin Awards State Officials Beaten by Footballers in Moscow Cafe

Denis Pak (Anton Novoderzhkin / TASS)

President Vladimir Putin has given state awards to two civil servants who were allegedly beaten by jailed star footballers Alexander Kokorin and Pavel Mamayev last week.

Kokorin and Mamayev were captured on CCTV last Monday allegedly attacking Trade Ministry official Denis Pak and head of the NAMI auto institute Sergei Gaysin at a Moscow cafe.

Kokorin and Mamayev were placed in pre-trial detention until Dec. 8 for the incident that also included a second attack on a news anchor’s driver earlier on Oct. 8.

Putin awarded head of the Trade Ministry’s automobile and railway construction department Pak the “For Merit to the Fatherland” order, 2nd class, according to a decree published on Monday.

Gaysin received the Order of Alexander Nevsky for advancements in domestic automaking, the decree said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more