Russian authorities have taken into custody Timur Ivanov, a deputy defence minister, on allegations of accepting considerable bribes. This arrest is the highest-profile corruption case in Russia since the commencement of its military operations in Ukraine in February 2022. According to a brief statement released by Russia’s investigative committee, Ivanov was apprehended on Tuesday. The investigators cited the statute for “accepting particularly large-scale bribes”, which carries a potential sentence of 15 years in prison. The unexpected arrest of Ivanov, a trusted ally of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu who is responsible for overseeing the war in Ukraine, has fuelled speculations about internal conflicts among the elite and a public campaign against the corruption that has plagued Russia’s military since the fall of the Soviet Union. The Kremlin has confirmed informing President Vladimir Putin about the situation and stated that Shoigu has also been notified. Earlier on Tuesday, Ivanov was present at a meeting of senior defence officials presided over by Shoigu. Since 2016, Ivanov has held the position of deputy minister, overseeing matters such as property management, housing, construction, and mortgages. The defence ministry has not issued any official statement regarding the matter. According to Kommersant, a Russian newspaper, Ivanov was detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the Soviet-era KGB. Putin had recently directed the FSB to combat corruption in defence procurement. Izvestia, another newspaper, reported that additional arrests had been made, although there has been no official confirmation. The newspaper also mentioned that Ivanov’s properties were being searched. Russian state television has given extensive coverage to the case. An anonymous Russian law enforcement source told the state news agency Tass, “Let’s just say that the investigation didn’t start yesterday, the day before, or even a month ago.” According to Tass, the FSB’s military counter-intelligence is involved. The reasons behind targeting such a high-ranking official with close ties to Shoigu remain unclear. Russian military bloggers have consistently denounced senior generals for corruption and incompetence, especially after the army’s hasty withdrawal from parts of Ukraine following its overextension during the early stages of the invasion. There are varied opinions about the war within the Russian elite, which has caused the most severe breakdown in relations between Russia and the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Ivanov, who is currently in custody and unreachable for comment, has long been associated with the lavish lifestyle of certain sections of the post-Soviet Russian elite, characterized by opulent real estate and extravagant parties. In 2022, the Anti-Corruption Foundation, led by the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, accused Ivanov and his family of living an extravagant lifestyle. After graduating with a degree in mathematics from Moscow State University, Moscow-born Ivanov completed a dissertation on organizational models for the construction of nuclear power plants. He rose through the ranks of Russia’s state atomic energy industry and worked as an advisor to the energy minister before becoming the deputy head of the Moscow region’s government under Shoigu, who was then governor. From 2013 onwards, Ivanov headed a defence ministry construction company responsible for building housing for soldiers and high-security installations. Forbes magazine listed Ivanov as one of the wealthiest individuals in Russia’s security apparatus.
Russian Deputy Defence Minister Arrested for Major Bribery Amidst Ukraine War
