INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Acting Kursk region Governor Alexander Khinshtein invited a Russian Orthodox priest to bless his office with holy water following the arrest
also shared a video showing the Russian Orthodox priest splashing holy water in his office using a ritual brush.In December, President
Vladimir Putin appointed Khinshtein, a former federal lawmaker and senior member of the ruling United Russia party, as acting governor of
the southwestern Kursk region.Khinshtein replaced ex-governor Alexei Smirnov, who was placed in pre-trial detention on Thursday over
allegations that he and his deputy embezzled 1 billion rubles ($12.17 million) from a state contract to build defensive fortifications near
the Ukrainian border.Smirnov had served as acting governor for less than three months when Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion
into the Kursk region in August, forcing thousands of residents to flee their homes
Despite much of the region being under Ukrainian control at the time, Smirnov was elected governor in September with nearly two-thirds of
restore order.In recent weeks, Russian troops have taken back much of the Kursk region, though a small portion reportedly remains under
Ukrainian control.On Friday, Khinshtein said prosecutors had launched more than 10 criminal cases tied to border defense projects in the
