Russian security services have detained Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov on suspicion of taking major bribes. This marks the highest-profile corruption case since President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The investigative committee stated that Ivanov was arrested for accepting bribes “on a particularly large scale,” which carries a potential sentence of 15 years in prison.
The sudden arrest of an ally of Shoigu, who has been tasked by Putin to lead the war in Ukraine, has triggered speculation about a potential battle within the elite and a public crackdown on corruption within Russia’s post-Soviet armed forces. According to the Kremlin, Putin has been informed of the arrest, and Shoigu has also been notified. Ivanov attended a meeting of top defense officials chaired by Shoigu earlier on Tuesday.
As deputy minister since 2016, Ivanov has been responsible for property management, housing, construction, and mortgages at the defense ministry. The defense ministry has not yet commented on the arrest. Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported that the 48-year-old Ivanov was detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the Soviet-era KGB. Putin had recently instructed the FSB to root out corruption in state defense procurement. The Izvestia newspaper claimed that others had also been detained, but there has been no official confirmation. According to the newspaper, Ivanov’s properties are currently being searched.
Russian state television has given the case extensive coverage. An unidentified Russian law enforcement source told the TASS state news agency, “Let’s just say the investigation did not start yesterday, the day before yesterday, or even a month ago.” TASS reported the involvement of FSB military counter-intelligence. The specific reasons for targeting such a high-ranking official with close ties to Shoigu remain unclear. Russian military bloggers have frequently accused top generals of corruption and incompetence, particularly following the army’s hasty withdrawal from parts of Ukraine after overextending itself during the initial stages of the invasion.
Within the Russian elite, there are varying perspectives on the war, which has caused the most severe breakdown in relations between Russia and the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Ivanov, who could not be reached while in custody, has long been associated with the opulent lifestyle that has characterized certain sections of the post-Soviet Russian elite, including luxurious real estate and lavish parties. The Anti-Corruption Foundation, led by the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, accused Ivanov and his family of leading an extravagant lifestyle in 2022.
A native of Moscow, Ivanov earned a mathematics degree from Moscow State University and completed a dissertation on organizational models for nuclear power plant construction. He rose through the ranks of Russia’s state atomic energy sector and served as an adviser to the energy minister before becoming deputy head of the Moscow region’s government under Shoigu, who was governor at the time. From 2013, Ivanov led a defense ministry construction company responsible for building housing for soldiers and at high-security installations. Forbes magazine placed Ivanov among the wealthiest individuals in Russia’s security structures.
