Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov has been arrested on organised corruption charges, marking the most high-profile case in Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine. The arrest was made on Tuesday, as confirmed by a statement from Russia’s Investigative Committee, which cited a statute for accepting bribes “on a particularly large scale.” Ivanov, who oversaw military construction and repairs, is accused of participating in a criminal conspiracy that greatly benefitted him personally, leading to a lavish lifestyle.
State media released brief footage of Ivanov standing in a Moscow court, where he faces a potential 15-year prison sentence if convicted. According to the TASS news agency, Ivanov will be held under a detention order for two months. Additionally, a man named Sergei Borodin has also been taken into custody on suspicion of complicity in receiving bribes by Ivanov.
The arrest of the 48-year-old deputy defence minister has been brought to the attention of President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Ivanov had been present at a meeting of top defence officials chaired by Shoigu earlier on Tuesday. The Federal Security Service (FSB), directed by Putin last month to combat corruption in state defence organizations, arrested Ivanov.
In 2022, the Anti-Corruption Foundation, led by allies of the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, conducted an investigation revealing that Ivanov and his family had diverted millions of dollars to purchase property and yachts. Maria Pevchikh, the chairwoman of the foundation, expressed satisfaction with Ivanov’s arrest in a post on social media.
