On Wednesday, April 24th, a Russian court ordered the detention of a deputy minister of defense on suspicion of bribery. This case marks the most high-profile corruption scandal in Russia since President Vladimir Putin’s deployment of troops to Ukraine in 2022.
The deputy minister of defense, Timur Ivanov, was detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB) during work on Tuesday for allegedly accepting massive bribes. The Moscow Basmanny District Court ordered Ivanov to be held in custody until June 23. A video released by the court showed 48-year-old Ivanov in uniform, standing in the courtroom’s glass cage with a slight frown on his face.
The court stated that “the investigation believes that Ivanov conspired with third parties, collaborated with them in advance, and participated in organized crime by an organized group to receive substantial material goods and services in the Defense Ministry’s contracts and subcontracting activities.”
Ivanov maintains his innocence and could face 15 years of imprisonment if convicted. The case has garnered extensive coverage in the state media.
A close friend of Ivanov, Sergei Borodin, is also facing charges of conspiracy to accept bribes. The Kremlin has confirmed that both Putin and the Defense Minister have been notified of the situation. The Kremlin dismissed media reports suggesting Ivanov’s possible involvement in treason as mere speculation.
Ivanov, a graduate of Moscow State University’s mathematics department, previously worked at the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation before serving as the Deputy Governor of the Moscow Region under then-Governor Shoigu. As an ally of Shoigu, Ivanov was entrusted by Putin with responsibilities related to the Ukraine conflict.
The sudden arrest of Ivanov has sparked speculations within society about elite internal struggles. Some view this as a public crackdown by the Russian government on corruption within the post-Soviet era Russian armed forces.
Certain Russian bloggers have criticized senior military leaders for incompetence and living extravagantly for an extended period. They express satisfaction at the downfall of these individuals.
An anonymous Russian source informed Reuters that Ivanov is a close ally of Shoigu, and his arrest is a significant blow to the Defense Minister. Shoigu, a key ally of Putin and one of Russia’s most influential figures, is expected to retain his position in the upcoming government reshuffle.
Ivanov has been serving as Deputy Minister of Defense since 2016, overseeing matters such as property management, housing, construction, and mortgage affairs in the Defense Ministry. Military spending has surged since the onset of the conflict.
According to TASS, the investigation into Ivanov has been ongoing for some time, with the involvement of the Federal Security Service’s military counterintelligence department.
Other probes allege corruption by Ivanov during the reconstruction process in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, currently under Russian military control.
Russian military bloggers have long accused Ivanov and other high-ranking officers of corruption, particularly during the initial days of the invasion of Ukraine and the hasty withdrawal of troops from certain Ukrainian regions post-expansion.
Last month, Putin ordered the Federal Security Service to eliminate corruption in national defense procurement.
Ivanov has been under scrutiny in news investigations for a long time. The Anti-Corruption Foundation led by the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny had accused Ivanov and his family of living luxuriously, owning yachts, helicopters, vacationing in the French Mediterranean resort of Riviera, buying diamonds, and owning a 19th-century mansion in Moscow.
Ivanov was listed by Forbes as one of the wealthiest individuals in Russia’s security apparatus.
Military blogger Yuri Podolyaka argued, “This is a structural transformation, unrelated to Ivanov.”