The country’s state media reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been informed of the detention of a high-ranking official, an extremely rare step in the context of the war in Ukraine.
Supporters of the fight against corruption in Russia have been criticizing what they say is widespread bribery during Putin’s rule for many years.
“Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Timur Vadimovich Ivanov, was arrested on suspicion of committing a crime under Article 290, part 6 (taking a bribe) of the Criminal Code,” the Investigative Committee of Russia said on the Telegram social network.
However, the Committee did not provide additional information.
Bribery is punishable by a large fine or more than ten years in prison, depending on the circumstances.
The European Union is imposing sanctions on T. Ivanov, a high-ranking official of the Ministry of Defense responsible for the construction of military facilities.
The Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), banned in Russia due to alleged extremism and founded by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, conducted one of its corruption investigations against T. Ivanov in 2022.
FBK then indicated that the deputy minister oversaw and profited from construction projects in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which Moscow came under control of in 2022 after a siege lasting several months.
According to FBK, T. Ivanovas also divorced his wife so that she could avoid EU sanctions.
“Today is a good day,” Marija Pevčich, A. Navalno’s longtime companion, said on social networks.
Like most opposition figures, she was forced to go abroad due to Kremlin repression.
The vast majority of the remaining opposition in Russia is behind bars.
Anti-corruption fighter A. Navalny, who died in prison under mysterious circumstances in February, organized mass protests against the Russian president a few years ago.
Tags: Russia deputy defense minister arrested corruption charges
