A prominent Russian academic and former Kremlin adviser has been arrested on charges of high treason, marking the latest detention of a university figure since Russia's wartime crackdown on academia began, Russian Lenta reported on August 6.

Vadim Saltykovsky, 60, a professor at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics and deputy director at the State University of Management, was taken into custody on August 5. Moscow's Lefortovo District Court approved his pre-trial detention until September 25.

The details of the allegations have not been disclosed, as treason cases in Russia are tried behind closed doors. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment under Article 275 of Russia's criminal code.

Saltykovsky's university profile has been removed from the Plekhanov website, though archived pages confirm his previous roles including deputy head of the Department for International Educational Cooperation.

He taught courses on global economics and international relations until at least spring 2025, maintaining an internal teaching rating of 4.9 out of five stars, according to exiled outlet Novaya Gazeta Europa.

Beyond his academic posts, Saltykovsky directs the Foreign Citizens Testing Centre at Moscow State Linguistic University and serves as deputy chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry's committee on economic cooperation with Asia and Oceania. In March 2025, he participated in a meeting between the Kursk Chamber of Commerce and North Korean officials in Pyongyang.

Investigative outlet IStories reported that Saltykovsky played a role in the state apparatus during Vladimir Putin's early years, including as chief adviser to the presidential administration for relations with the Commonwealth of Independent States and Azerbaijan in the early 2000s.

Saltykovsky joins a growing number of academics, scientists and former officials charged with treason or espionage since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.