Stripes tearing off
The last few months have been marked by a series of arrests in the Ministry of Defense. They began under Sergei Shoigu and continued under the new head of the military department, Andrei Belousov. Currently under arrest are former deputy defense ministers Timur Ivanov, Dmitry Bulgakov and Pavel Popov, director of the Patriot Park Vyacheslav Akhmetov, head of Voentorg Vladimir Pavlov, deputy chief of the General Staff Vadim Shamarin and other high-ranking officials.
The first one went
A series of criminal cases in the Russian Defense Ministry opens Timur Ivanov. Former Deputy Sergei Shoiguwho has held the top post since 2016, was arrested on April 24. He is accused of accepting a bribe on an especially large scale. Ivanov, who faces up to 15 years in prison, denies his guilt.
Timur Ivanov was involved in the management of the property of the Russian Ministry of Defense, planning the purchase of goods under the state defense order and resolving issues related to the construction, reconstruction and major repairs of facilities. According to the investigation, the equivalent of the bribe he is accused of is about 1.2 million rubles.
At the same time, as follows from the case materials, Ivanov received it not in money, but through the gratuitous provision of services by contractor firms of the Ministry of Defense, at sites allegedly belonging to him. In particular, we are talking about free construction and repairs. The official refused to admit guilt and tried to appeal the arrest, but to no avail. Now the assets of Ivanov and his relatives are frozen, and the luxurious estate of the former deputy minister on the banks of the Volga in the Tver region with a spa complex, a swimming pool, houses for servants and a helipad with a hangar may be demolished, since, as it turned out during the investigation, no construction permits were obtained.
The defendants in the criminal case on bribery also include the co-founder of the company “Olimpsististroy” Alexander Fomin and a businessman Sergey Borodinthey are also under arrest.
Chief of Personnel
On May 14, the head of the Main Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General, was charged with accepting a bribe in exchange for assistance in concluding government contracts for the provision of hotel services. To Yuri Kuznetsov. According to the investigation, between 2021 and 2023, Kuznetsov, who at that time held the position of head of the 8th Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, received a bribe on an especially large scale from business structures in exchange for “performing certain actions in their favor.” In particular, the businessman, with whom Kuznetsov is accused of conspiring, hoped, according to the investigation, to receive an order for the placement of military personnel sent to study at the Krasnodar Higher Military School named after S.M. Shtemenko. According to the prosecution, the bribe was transferred to Kuznetsov in the form of a house and a plot of land in Krasnodar worth a total of 30.5 million rubles. The lieutenant general faces up to 15 years in prison. The Main Military Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (*country sponsor of terrorism) is investigating the case.
“Nothing but debts and loans”
Former commander of the 58th Army, Major General Ivan Popov was arrested on May 17. He is accused of official forgery. According to the chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexandra BastrykinaPopov and other defendants in the criminal case could have had a hand in the resale of “rolled metal products worth a total of over 114 million rubles, which were purchased by the military-civil administration of the Zaporizhia region for the construction of defensive structures. In addition, as the investigative bodies believe, Ivan Popov signed knowingly false documents confirming the fact of the receipt of the notorious products by the army, although in reality there was no delivery. But later Popov’s lawyer stated that a handwriting examination revealed a discrepancy between the signature on the documents and the handwriting of the major general.
Popov called the detention on charges of embezzlement an undeserved measure of restraint, stating that the result of his work as commander of the 58th Army was not theft, but the repulsion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces offensive in the Zaporizhzhya direction and the disruption of the enemy’s attempt to reach the Sea of Azov, encircle the Kherson group and blockade Crimea. As the major general emphasized, he has “nothing but debts and loans.”
Dangerous Liaison
Another arrest followed on May 22. The Deputy Chief of the General Staff became a defendant in a criminal case on bribery Vadim Shamarin. According to investigators, he received 36 million rubles from the CEO and chief accountant of the Perm telephone plant Telta in exchange for “general patronage” and an increase in the volume of deliveries for the enterprise under contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry. Shamarin faces up to 15 years in prison on this charge.
An audit by Telta showed that in 2015, the plant was manufacturing the TA-88 field telephone, which was supplied to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The contract was concluded for 278.9 million rubles. Later, this enterprise took an order for the production of telecommunications equipment for the needs of Voentelecom for 163.6 million rubles. Both state defense orders were completed in 2016.
Later, information emerged that Shamarin was under investigation by the FSB. Four witnesses, who had already been convicted of fraud, also testified against the Deputy Chief of the General Staff.
Shamarin’s attempts to appeal the arrest were unsuccessful. In addition, the court ordered the arrest of the Mercedes-Benz he bought on credit as part of the criminal case.
Rear guard behind bars
On July 26, it became known about the arrest Dmitry Bulgakovwho served as Deputy Minister of Defense for Logistics from 2008 to 2022. The charges against him are also related to government contracts. In particular, according to investigators, when concluding a contract for the provision of services for an energy survey of the interior and exterior lighting of the S.M. Kirov Military Medical Academy in St. Petersburg, the cost of the work was overstated, and an advance payment of 49 million rubles was unreasonably transferred to the contractor’s account.
During his tenure as Deputy Minister of Defense for Logistics, Bulgakov was responsible for issues of logistical support for the army. In particular, he was in charge of the construction of a railway line bypassing Ukraine and issues related to the supply of Russian troops in Syria. Bulgakov’s departure from his post coincided with the announcement of partial mobilization and the emergence of numerous complaints about the provision of mobilized citizens with the necessary equipment. The department explained that the deputy minister resigned in connection with the transition to a new job.
Bulgakov refused to admit guilt. He is in pretrial detention, although the defense insisted on a more lenient measure of restraint, citing the defendant’s chronic illnesses and the sanctions in force against him, due to which he will not be able to hide abroad.
Toiletries at exorbitant prices
On August 1, the head of Voentorg was arrested on charges of embezzlement. Vladimir Pavlov. The court placed him in pretrial detention, taking into account the investigation’s arguments that Pavlov might attempt to abscond, destroy evidence, or put pressure on witnesses – his immediate subordinates. The defendant refused to admit guilt in the large-scale fraud imputed to him and promised to cooperate with the investigation to prove his innocence.
Pavlov’s alleged accomplice was also arrested Timur Isakov.
According to law enforcement officials, the head of JSC Voentorg and employees of the organization, as well as other accomplices, sold “Army Toiletries” to the Ministry of Defense for 625 million rubles under government contracts between 2019 and 2022. We are talking about hygiene kits for military personnel, which include a toothbrush, razor, sewing accessories, shampoo, shower gel, and so on. According to investigators, the cost of the goods was inflated by more than 400 million rubles.
An unpatriotic affair
On August 5, the director of the Patriot Park was detained Vyacheslav Akhmedov. He was accused of embezzling 30 million rubles. It was reported that another defendant in the criminal case is the deputy head of the Main Directorate for Innovative Development of the Ministry of Defense, Major General Vladimir ShesterovAccording to the investigation, Akhmedov and Shesterov were involved in the theft of funds allocated to support the activities of the Patriot Park and the congress and exhibition center. The notorious multi-million dollar sum, as the security forces believe, was received for work that was not performed and for material assets that were not delivered to the park, although according to the documents, these deliveries and work were made and accepted in full.
As part of the criminal case, a security interest was placed on the assets of Akhmedov and Shesterov.
Free labor
On August 29, the court arrested another former deputy defense minister, an army general. Pavla PopovaHe is accused of enriching himself at the expense of the Patriot Park. In particular, as the investigation believes, the general managed to build a country house in the Moscow region thanks to funds allocated for the construction and maintenance of the park.
Popov has been charged with fraud on an especially large scale. He faces up to ten years in prison. He is currently in pretrial detention. The general held the post of deputy defense minister for 11 years, and was dismissed two months ago.
According to investigators, Popov forced the park’s contractors to work on his 3-hectare plot without paying them. In addition, according to security officials, the general organized construction on the same plot using money allocated for the park. Presumably, he acted together with the previously detained head of Patriot Vyacheslav Akhmedov and the head of the Main Directorate for Innovative Development of the Ministry of Defense Vladimir Shesterov. According to the Investigative Committee, Popov and his relatives own real estate worth 500 million rubles.