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Russian Officials Accused of Sabotaging Neighboring Cities’ Rankings

Officials in the Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk allegedly spent 4 million rubles (about $51,000) hiring people to photograph potholes and landscaping violations in neighboring municipalities.

The photos were reportedly submitted as official complaints to worsen the rankings of cities such as Khimki and Odintsovo while improving Krasnogorsk’s own standing. Workers were allegedly paid around 300 rubles (about $3.85) per photo, with some teams producing up to 2,000 images a day.

Krasnogorsk later ranked among Russia’s top municipalities for urban improvement in 2025. The allegations were first reported by Russian news site Baza, which also says a criminal case has been opened. HoldMyVodka could not independently verify the claims through other major Russian media.