MOSCOW, June 29 (RAPSI) - The Basmanny District Court of Moscow on Monday extended the detention for Sergei Ostrovsky, Chief Engineer of the Vostochny Cosmodrome Equipping Project, until October 1, RAPSI reports from the court.

The court thus granted the prosecutors’ motion. Ostrovsky’s lawyer filed a petition for a change in his restrictive measure to house arrest or bail.

Ostrovsky, who was arrested last November, is one of the defendants in the embezzlement case surrounding the construction of the Vostochny Cosmodrome, involving alleged damages of 1.8 billion rubles ($32.6 mln). Investigators claim that the money was stolen as part of Dalspetsstroy’s activity, a major contractor in the construction project.

The other defendants include ex-CEO of Dalspetsstroy, Yury Khrizman, his son Mikhail and Viktor Chudov, Chairman of the Khabarovsk Territory Duma.

Ostrovsky denies any involvement.

The construction of the space center, due to become Russia's main launch site, began in 2012. The facility is scheduled for completion by November 30 and the first manned mission is scheduled for 2018.