The key facts
- Severstal called Governor Filimonov's accusations absolutely false
- The company's lawyers are working on filing a defamation lawsuit
- The conflict escalated on November 5 after the governor's remarks about a 'commissioned' investigation
The company is preparing a lawsuit against the head of the region
The steel company Severstal intends to go to court following public statements by Vologda Region Governor Georgy Filimonov, who accused the company and its management of financing negative publications about himself and his team. This was reported by the company's press service (Life.ru). Severstal stated that it had allocated no funds either for preparing investigations or for publishing materials against the governor, including in foreign media and by foreign agents. 'Neither Severstal nor its executives allocated any funds to finance investigations or the publication of negative materials about Filimonov and his staff, and statements to that effect are absolutely false and remain entirely on Filimonov's conscience,' Life.ru quoted the press service as saying.
What exactly the governor said and what is known about the status of the lawsuit
The trigger for the escalation was Filimonov's remarks on November 5: he said that a journalistic investigation was allegedly being prepared concerning his property and the assets of his relatives, called the future publication commissioned, and mentioned Alexey Egorov, Severstal's Deputy General Director for Communications and Government Relations. The company stressed that it intends to defend its reputation against 'the slanderous attacks of the leadership of the Vologda Region,' and its lawyers are currently working on filing a lawsuit. At the same time, as Life.ru notes, there is still no documentation confirming that the claim has already been filed with the court — that is, we are talking about an intention, not an initiated case.
This is not the first conflict
Tensions between the regional authorities and the company's management had arisen before: the two sides publicly argued over tax payments, investments, and the company's participation in the region's social projects. At the same time, Severstal's Chairman of the Board of Directors Alexey Mordashov previously denied the existence of a conflict with the governor, and in the spring of 2025 Filimonov said he was ready to establish cooperation with the company. In his latest statement, he also emphasized that he has a positive attitude toward the company's workforce and is open to constructive dialogue with individual members of its management. Life.ru also recalls another public dispute surrounding the company: in April 2026, Severstal responded to a proposal by Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko to return offshore assets to Russia, pointing out that its enterprises are under Russian jurisdiction and that the situation in the metallurgical industry is difficult.
