Outlook Web Desk
Several top military officials in Russia have been arrested since President Vladimir Putin began his fifth term and shuffled his ally, longtime Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, into a new post.
It began last month with the arrest of a Russian deputy defense minister, followed by the head of the ministry’s personnel directorate being hauled into court now
This week, two more senior military officials were detained. All face charges of corruption, which they have denied. However, it has raised questions about whether Putin was reasserting control over the Defense Ministry amid the war in Ukraine
The security services in Russia, an analyst said, could be trying to “push back” against the military’s dominance seen since Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov — the first official arrested in April and the highest-ranking one so far — oversaw large military-related construction projects and had access to vast sums of money
Other arrests on bribery charges have included Lt. Gen. Yury Kuznetsov, head of the Defense Ministry’s personnel directorate. The arrests suggest that “really egregious” corruption in the Defense Ministry will no longer be tolerated, an expert said
Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, a career soldier and former top commander in Ukraine, has also been arrested. Another analyst said the Russian govt needs to “keep the war going in order to keep the economy going,” but also must ensure the costs - and corruption - are not higher than needed
Lt. Gen. Vadim Shamarin, deputy chief of the military general staff and also a deputy to Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, has also been held. It is unclear whether the Kremlin or Russia’s security services, particularly the State Security Service, or FSB, are driving force behind the arrests
Corruption scandals are not new and officials and top officials have been accused of profiting from their positions for decades. The war in Ukraine has led to ballooning defense spending that is said to have only has increased opportunities for graft.
It’s also critical the war is managed correctly because Russia’s economy depends on it. Russians are earning higher salaries driven by the booming defense sector, as per an AP report