#Timur Ivanov

[tomorrowusa]

Ho-hum. Another day, another unexplained death of a Russian businessman, current/former official, or dissident.

It's true that Igor Kotelnikov was on the sketchy side – he was in pretrial detention on a bribery charge. But he was 52 which is still below Russia's plummeting life expectancy. No cause of death was released by official sources.

Somebody up top may have been worried about Kotelnikov's upcoming testimony and decided to silence him once and for all. After falling out of windows, dying while in custody under mysterious circumstances seems to be a favored way for the dictatorship to get rid of people it doesn't want around.

A Russian businessman charged with bribing senior Defense Ministry officials on behalf of suppliers has died in pretrial detention, according to a member of the country's human rights council. Igor Kotelnikov, 52, died on July 8 after feeling unwell in the Moscow pretrial detention center, Yeva Merkacheva said. She did not give a cause of death but said he had been held in a part of the center that has tough conditions. "Rights defenders, examining the pretrial detention center, repeatedly noted that these cells are packed with people. [The cells] are small, hot in warm weather, cold in the winter. In addition, some detainees sit there all day," Merkacheva wrote in a column for the popular daily Moskovsky Komsomolets. She said that Kotelnikov's death was not the first in such cells and that other detainees have committed suicide. Kotelnikov allegedly operated as a middleman in the bribery scheme that rocked the ministry earlier this year, leading to the arrest of former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov and two other businessmen. Kotelnikov denied the charges.

The Russian defense establishment is notoriously corrupt. Kotelnikov probably knew a lot about the sleaze.

According to the Telegram channel CHEKA-OGPU, officials from the Federal Security Service (FSB) visited Kotelnikov in detention on several occasions to encourage him to finger Ivanov. The channel claimed that when Kotelnikov refused, the FSB officials began pressuring him and later moved him to a punishment cell. CHEKA-OGPU is reportedly close to Russia’s security services. According to the Telegram channel, prison doctors said Kotelnikov should not be held in a punishment cell due to chronic illness and had him sent back. However, prison officials, allegedly under FSB pressure, had him returned, CHEKA-OGPU said. Ivanov, who oversaw the military-industrial complex for the ministry, was arrested in April on charges of taking more than 1 billion rubles ($11.4 million) in bribes from contractors. Ivanov, whose family flaunted its wealth, has denied the charges.

A reminder that this régime is admired by many Republicans in the US who are hoping for a Putin victory in Ukraine – despite the endemic incompetence and corruption in Russia's military. Russia is their model for how to run a country.

[mockva]

The estate in the center of Moscow of Shoigu’s deputy, arrested for bribery, is the former estate of Tchaikovsky’s niece Anna von Meck, 19th century. It is believed that it was in the basement of this house that the main character of Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita” lived.

[sinoeurovoices]

俄國精英階層禍起蕭牆　普丁的壞兆頭來了

赫魯雪娃（Nina L. Khrushcheva）紐約新學院國際事務教授，前蘇聯領導人赫魯雪夫曾孫女，與Jeffrey Tayler合著《In Putin’s Footsteps》等書。 在俄羅斯，公眾人物如果被起訴或懲罰必定符合兩個條件：反對普丁的統治或他在烏克蘭的「特別軍事行動」，而且他們不是高級官員。 上個月，國防部副部長伊凡諾夫（Timur…

[mariacallous]

A day after Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was arrested for allegedly taking bribes, becoming the highest-ranking official to face felony charges in recent years, a Moscow court has sent him to pre-trial detention for two months.

According to investigators, Ivanov participated in a criminal conspiracy in which he accepted “especially large bribes” while overseeing Defense Ministry construction and repair projects. Sergey Borodin, a friend of Ivanov, has also been remanded in custody.

However, the independent news site iStories reported on Wednesday that the real reason for Ivanov’s arrest is suspected treason, citing two sources close to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). “The bribery [charges] are for the public. They don’t want to talk publicly about treason right now — it’s a big scandal. It’s the deputy defense minister, after all,” the outlet quoted one source as saying.

The second source said that Vladimir Putin “gave the order after being convinced that the case was specifically about treason” and that “nobody would have arrested [Ivanov] for corruption.”

Ivanov’s arrest was first reported on the evening of April 23. According to Russian state media, he will be held in Moscow's Lefortovo remand prison for the duration of the authorities’ preliminary investigation. The Telegram channel 112 said that investigators have begun searching a dacha owned by Ivanov in Dagestan, while the channel VChK-OGPU reported that three other people have been arrested in connection with the case. 

Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Wednesday evening that Vladimir Putin has been notified of Ivanov’s arrest and that Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu was “informed in advance.” Ivanov is known to be a longtime ally of Shoigu, having served as his deputy governor in the Moscow region back in 2012.

Ivanov has overseen a wide range of construction projects as deputy defense minister, including the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces, Moscow’s Patriot Park theme park, and the reconstruction of occupied Mariupol. In 2019, he was included on Forbes Russia’s list of the country’s richest security officials.

Following Ivanov’s arrest, a source told Forbes that Ivanov is “Shoigu’s man” but that he’d “had some slip-ups” and that “questions had piled up” around him. The source speculated that his arrest could be part of a “purge” of Shoigu’s inner circle in preparation for the minister’s possible departure from the defense ministry.

Ivanov has been the subject of a number of corruption investigations by journalists. In 2022, Team Navalny reported that the deputy minister’s family owns multiple expensive properties in the Moscow region. Later that year, they reported that Ivanov’s first wife had spent hundreds of thousands of euros on jewelry, clothing, and vacations over the years, with third-party individuals and companies regularly footing the bill. Ivanov has been sanctioned by the U.S. and the E.U.

[shamsaddinmegalommatis]

Mikhail Kutuzov in 1812, Sergei Shoigu in 2024, and Aleksey Kivshenko's Historical Painting of the Military Council in Fili, a suburb of Moscow

Many Russians were astounded yesterday morning, when reading in the news that during searches conducted in the residences of the former Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia Dmitry Bulgakov, who was arrested on charges of corruption on 26th of July, a small number of very bizarre frames and paintings were found.

The historically true: Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armies Mikhail Kutuzov at 'the Council in Fili', 1812

The mystically allegorical: Sergei Shoigu, former Minister of Defense of Russia and currently Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation as an atemporal replica of General Kutuzov

Contents

I. Introduction

II. Brief description and possible parallels

III. Shoigu's lengthy tenure exceeded by far that of President Putin

IV. Long 'reigns' come with indulgence in corruption and extravagance

V. An attempt to inculpate or a mystical allegory?

VI. Appendices

Содержание

I. Введение

II. Краткое описание и возможные параллели

III. Длительное правление Шойгу намного превзошло президентство президента Путина

IV. Длительное «правление» сопровождается потворством коррупции и расточительству

V. Попытка инкриминировать или мистическая аллегория?

VI. Приложения

I. Introduction

The most mysterious of those paintings is based on a historical painting, which was created by the famous 19th c. Russian painter Aleksey Kivshenko (1851-1895) in 1879, and known as 'the Council in Fili'. This great masterpiece of Modern Russian Art represents the artist's impression of a historical event, namely a military council that took place (1812) in a suburb of Moscow, prior to Napoleon's temporary occupation of the Russian city (14 September – 19 October 1812). The extraordinary summit occurred immediately after the Battle of Borodino, which was a Pyrrhic victory for the French army.

Created 67 years after the event, the painting had an enormous success; Kivshenko, who was already known for his numerous, fascinating works and representations of significant historical events of the Russian past, had to repeat the painting twice, which clearly means that his artwork generated an overwhelming and exceptional enthusiasm. This situation was basically due to the primordial importance of the historical event.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armies, Infantry General Mikhail Golenishchev-Kutuzov had then to take a most critical decision: the orderly retreat of the Russian army from Moscow. The meeting (13 September 1812), which is known through several historical sources, started with the dilemma formulated by General Leonty Bennigsen, namely to give battle against the French army in an unfavorable position or to surrender. Kutuzov sided finally with the minority opinion and took the decision to abandon Moscow, which was finally proven correct, because Napoleon could not hold his position for long.

Then, how should we today, 212 years after the event and 145 years after the painting, interpret a bizarre painting in which a group of top Russian statesmen and military desire to be and are effectively depicted as exchanging roles with the historical personalities who saved the Russian Empire before two centuries?

In the painting found in Bulgakov's house, Sergei Shoigu, the former Minister of Defense of Russia, and now Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, is depicted as the Russian commander Mikhail Kutuzov. Shoigu's former deputy Ruslan Tsalikov plays General Mikhail Barclay de Tolly. The painting also features former deputy defense ministers Timur Ivanov, Tatyana Shevtsova and other officials.

Several other bizarre paintings were found in the arrested statesman's house, but the atemporal replica of the said historical painting raises more questions, due to the potential symbolisms or parallels that can be drawn. If the potentially allegorical but effectively incomprehensible artwork was found in 2005 or in 2012, no one would pay much attention, and the eventually innocuous representation would be taken as the result of a certainly bold, yet counterproductive, imagination of a group of top level Russian officials, eventually characterized by their narcissism.

It is clear that many Russians are -truly speaking- under terrible shock because of the revelations, and their comments about this, most weird, story are very negative. With no doubt, Kutuzov is almost a holy person for the Russians because, although he did not mark a real victory over Napoleon, he forced him to advance following Pyrrhic victories during a prolonged war of attrition which led finally to the collapse of the French Army. How a defeat at the battlefield can possibly be transformed into a victory in the long perspective is a most fatalistic turn of events for historians to possibly fathom. But it was known since the time of the Battle of Kadesh (May 1274 BCE) between the Hittite Emperor Muwatalli II and the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses III.

On the other hand, many of the persons depicted on the bizarre paintings have recently lost their positions or even been arrested. Bulgakov was arrested only 4-5 days ago, following allegations of bribery, but he is only the last of several similar cases.

II. Brief description and existing parallels

As the mystery of these eventually absurd but potentially meaningful pictures is beyond imagination, several friends contacted me to make some inquiries. They asked me what this meant in reality and whether this initiatory and hypothetically purposeful painting denoted a hidden desire of Shoigu to "take Putin's place".

What follows here includes parts of my responses; it is actually difficult to answer such a question because there are many parameters involved in this regard; but in general, I never thought that Sergei Shoigu would be interested in taking Putin's place. In addition, the painting does not hint at anything of the sort. Kutuzov did not imagine, even for a second, not to be loyal to the Russian czars whom he served.

First and foremost, it is essential for any non-Russian to comprehend that Russians have no conventional thought. Historically, it is very common in Russia to evaluate one man as higher and as more important than the czar, the secretary general or the president.

If one goes to Russia and speaks with the average people, one will understand that what they narrate as «History of Russia» is not what is taught in the West about this topic. By this, I don't mean discrepancies at the level of historical facts and narratives, but a totally distinct perspective of the time and a markedly different evaluation of the human deeds.

There are effectively some parallels between Kutuzov (1745-1813) and Shoigu (born in 1955).

Kutuzov served (as military officer and diplomat) three czars (Catherine II, Paul I, and Alexander I).

And Shoigu was a minister under four presidents (Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Putin, and Medvedev). 

Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov-Smolensky (Михаил Илларионович Голенищев-Кутузов-Смоленский) belonged to an ancient noble family of German-Prussian extraction. The Golenishchev-Kutuzov branch consisted of the descendants of Gabriel, who left Prussia (1252-1263) and became the founder of the Kutuzovs.

Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu (Сергей Кужугетович Шойгу) belonged to a Turkic Tuvan family, as his father (Kuzhuget Shoigu, 1921-2010) was first Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Tuvan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Tuvan ASSR. Shoigu's mother (Alexandra Yakovlevna Shoigu, 1924–2011) was a Ukrainian-born Russian, who was detained by the German occupation forces during World War II and had a traumatic experience from this event.

Mikhail Kutuzov was a multilingual, as he was fluent in Russian, German, French and English; on later occasions he also studied Ottoman Turkish, Polish, and Swedish.

Sergei Shoigu is also a multilingual, who speaks Tuvan, Russian, and another seven languages including Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, English, etc.

III. Shoigu's lengthy tenure exceeded by far that of President Putin

All the people know that Vladimir Putin has been president since the year 2000 (with an interval of four years (2008-2012), when he served as prime minister; however, few people remember today that Shoigu was a minister since 1991. Only last May, he was removed from the position of Minister of Defense and promoted/rewarded as «Secretary of the Security Council of Russia».

This means that Shoigu was a minister for 33 years! When the positions are so important, a person creates his own small state within the state; this is normal and inevitable.

As a matter of fact, Yeltsin appointed Shoigu as Minister of Emergency Situations in April 1991. All the same, at the time, Yeltsin was only the «President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic», not the «President of the Russian Federation». This means that Yeltsin was under Gorbachev who was then the «President of the Soviet Union». In other words, Shoigu was at the very beginning a minister of USSR, not Russia! He was appointed before the August 1991 coup attempt, which failed and led to the rise of Yeltsin, resignation of Gorbachev, and demise of the USSR. 

And what was Vladimir Putin at the time?

In June 1991, in (then) Leningrad, he was appointed as head of the Committee for External Relations of the Mayor's Office. So, you cannot compare. 

In fact, better than any other Russian, Sergei Shoigu epitomizes the transition from the USSR to today's Russia. Consequently, although he was not a career military man but an apparatchik and part of the Soviet nomenklatura, he had progressively become a major pole of power. And because of his success, which guaranteed Putin’s success, it was surely unthinkable for anyone to remove him. 

However, the uneasiness of the Russians with the ongoing fake war in Ukraine and the disclosure of several financial scandals and cases of bribery in the Russian army and the Ministry of Defense generated another environment.

IV. Long 'reigns' come with indulgence in corruption and extravagance

Last April, the Russian deputy defense minister Timur Ivanov was arrested. 

This occurred only little time after Putin’s re-election. 

One month after the arrest, Sergei Shoigu was removed and replaced by Andrey Belousov, who is provenly a very good economist, a well-experienced statesman, and a former First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia.

At the time, many people said that Putin placed an economist at the top of the Ministry of Defense, because he wanted to make a more effective programming of the military industrial production in view of the continuation of the war in Ukraine. It may be.

But personally, I was absolutely convinced that the reason for this appointment was the desire to effectuate an extensive control of earlier business transactions, carry out a thorough examination of past deals, identify practices of corruption, and uncover all cases of bribery that the «Shoigu establishment» allowed or tolerated or supported or covered deliberately. In the face of the collateral damages caused by the Russian military operations in Ukraine, it would be unacceptable that top officials accumulated illegal benefits. 

Almost four months after the aforementioned case of Timur Ivanov, the arrest of Bulgakov rang the bell for the part of the Russian establishment that was exposed to such inexcusable weaknesses at wartime and for ministers who indulged themselves in corruption and extravagance.

and

And with the frames and paintings found in his house yesterday, we learned that Bulgakov viewed Shoigu as Kutuzov!

Of course, Kutuzov is more important than Alexander I for the Russians. Czar Alexander I acknowledged personally that Russia owed the final victory to Kutuzov. This means that, with all similarities taken together as coincidental (!!), Bulgakov and his associates, friends and subordinates viewed Shoigu like a 'god'. Several Russian friends interpret this approach as absolutely true; they even consider it as the result of extreme narcissism of all persons involved. 

What follows is a selection of comments that I found in Russian social media (I translated them into English):

1. «This is blasphemy against the memory and exploits of our ancestors»!

2. «They came up with this a long time ago and are successfully stealing it»

3. «A finished script for a film. How far human stupidity and impudence go»!

4. «They are very far from Kutuzov and others; but there is plenty of time for self-admiration»

5. «A gang of thieves assembled»

6. «Where is Timur Ivanov»?

From the following web pages:

А такие портреты нашли дома у задержанного экс-замминистра обороны Дмитрия Булгакова во время обысков.

and

Минутка статистики по одному из шедевров золотой коллекции задержанного замминистра обороны Булгакова.

V. An attempt to inculpate or a mystical allegory?

As a matter of fact, it would not make sense for Shoigu and his close associates to envision that he would take Putin’s place (let alone to conspire with this target in mind); in addition, the picture says the opposite. Kutuzov was already more important than the czar.

All the same, there is another dimension too; these pictures may have been placed in Bulgakov's home after his arrest in order to inculpate him, Shoigu and others in some way. This would however seem rather to be a puerile attempt, because there can be far worse and far more effective ways to inculpate someone than the revelation of the narcissistic visions and the grandiose imaginations of a group of corrupt and not corrupt officials.

If there is a symbolism, it means that the true ruler is («was»?) Shoigu; but even in this case, it is a very unusual type of praising and self-praising for some top officials. In real terms of boastfulness, such an atemporal replica of Aleksey Kivshenko's legendary painting adds nothing on the table.

I believe that, if some people want truly to unveil a real and serious purpose in this painting, they must rather view it as a mystical allegory – not a mere symbolism. In this case, the otherwise bizarre artwork becomes meaningful.

What are the major points of an allegorical mysticism in this regard?

I will brief enumerate a few.

1- Reminiscent of the French invasion of the Russian Empire, the present war in Ukraine reveals that the Russian Federation is under attack.

It matters little whether some Western idiots believe that we have to deal with a Russian invasion of Ukraine; there was never such an event, because Ukraine is an integral part of Russian territory that criminal Anglo-Saxon gangsters brutally and illegally detached from Russia at the time of the Soviet collapse.

Yuval Harari was very correct when saying that "Gorbachev saved us from nuclear war"; but his truth ends there. What truly happened in 1989 is not the continuation of a development that started in 1985. In fact, Gorbachev was openly threatened by George Herbert Bush with imminent nuclear attack if he did not rapidly dissolve the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. The truth was enveloped in thousands of lies, endless smiles, and hypocritical hand shakings, because this was beneficial for both, the US and the Soviet Union/Russia. I cannot further expand now on this topic, because I would digress.

So, as it happened in the 1810s and the 1940s, Russia has been under attack since the late 1980s.

2- Similarly with Kutuzov's ingenious strategy and tactics, the Russian state withdrew from lands for quite some time now.

The formation of the Ukrainian pseudo-nation after 1991 was an entirely orchestrated fabrication, involving the creation of a bogus-idiom named 'Ukrainian language', the pseudo-translation of thousands of toponyms and personal names into their hypothetically Ukrainian forms, the compilation of a distorted 'History of Ukraine', the diffusion of heinous anti-Russian racism, and the subtle disfigurement of the Orthodox faith of the local population into a charlatanesque form of Anti-Christian Catholicism.

3- Similarly with what happened during the French Invasion of the Russian Empire, the military proved to be the backbone of the Russian nation.

In this regard, the lengthy tenure of Sergei Shoigu reflects perfectly well the long military career of Mikhail Kutuzov.

4- The partly withdrawal from the Western Russian lands, as implemented by the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armies, can be mirrored in Moscow's agreement for a separate, 'independent' Ukrainian state. The concession made is very similar to the decision taken at the Military Council in Fili.

5- Sergei Shoigu's contribution to the final victory may be analogous to Kutuzov's strategy which brought the final victory after many rather insignificant defeats.

6- Last but foremost, the final defeat of Napoleon in Russia ended with the subsequent demise of his regime; the allegory is very clear as regards the combined Anglo-Saxon world that has attacked USSR-Russia since 1945 – or if you prefer 1985.

---------------------------

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[xnewsinfo]

Timur Ivanov, Russian Deputy Protection Minister, who was faraway from workplace and detained on suspicion of accepting bribes. | Photograph credit score: Reuters Russian authorities have formally dismissed a deputy protection minister jailed on bribery fees and accused by Kremlin critics of main a lavish way of life, Russian media reported Thursday. A court docket ordered his preventive detention to be prolonged for 3 extra months.Timur Ivanov, 48, is certainly one of a number of senior navy officers arrested on corruption fees in current months. He was an in depth affiliate of Sergei Shoigu, whom President Vladimir Putin changed as protection minister final month. Ivanov, arrested in April, was accused of accepting a very massive bribe. His legal professionals mentioned he maintains his innocence. On Thursday, the Basmanny District Court docket in Moscow prolonged his detention pending investigation and trial till at the least September 23. If he's convicted, he faces as much as 15 years in jail. Russian media, citing an internet file of presidency officers, mentioned Thursday that Ivanov was fired from his place. His lawyer Denis Baluyev confirmed his dismissal in feedback to the Russian enterprise information website RBK. The studies didn't instantly clarify when precisely Ivanov was fired. Different senior navy officers arrested in current months embody the deputy chief of the Russian navy Common Employees, Lieutenant Common Vadim Shamarin; Common Ivan Popov, former prime commander of the Russian offensive in Ukraine; and Lieutenant Common Yury Kuznetsov, head of the personnel directorate of the Ministry of Protection. All three have been charged with bribery. Based on the Ministry of Protection web site, Ivanov was appointed in 2016 by presidential decree. He oversaw property administration, housing and medical help for the navy, in addition to development initiatives.Ivanov's arrest got here nearly a month after Putin requested the Federal Safety Service to “keep a systemic anti-corruption effort” and pay particular consideration to state protection procurement.Russian media reported that Ivanov supervised a few of the development in Mariupol, a Ukrainian port metropolis that was devastated by bombing and occupied by Russian forces in the beginning of the struggle. Ivanov has been sanctioned by each the USA and the European Union. Zvezda, the official tv channel of the Russian navy, reported in summer season 2022 that the ministry was constructing a complete residential block in Mariupol and confirmed Ivanov inspecting development websites and newly constructed residential buildings. That very same 12 months, the group of the late Alexei Navalny, Russia's most distinguished opposition chief and anti-corruption activist, alleged that Ivanov and his household had been having fun with lavish journeys overseas, lavish events and proudly owning elite actual property. Activists additionally alleged that Ivanov's spouse, Svetlana, divorced him in 2022 to keep away from sanctions and continued to reside a lavish way of life.

[warningsine]

Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov, the head of the personnel department of the Russian Defense Ministry, was detained on May 13 on criminal charges, the state-owned news agency TASS reported, citing undisclosed law enforcement sources.

The exact nature of the charges had not been revealed, TASS wrote. The investigation is reportedly being carried out by the Main Military Investigation Department of the Russian Investigative Committee.

The news comes only as the latest case to rock Russia's military and security apparatus.

According to TASS's source, Russian authorities carried out searches at Kuznetsov's job and home.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

Between 2010 and 2023, Kuznetsov served as the head of the Eight Directorate of the Russian military's General Staff, responsible for protecting state secrets.

The general has led the personnel department of the Defense Ministry since May 2023.

In April, now-former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was detained on suspicion of bribery, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was reassigned as the head of the country's security council on May 13, replacing Nikolai Patrushev.

[head-post]

Putin reappoints Mishustin as Russia’s PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday reappointed Mikhail Mishustin as the country’s prime minister, Russian media reported.

Mishustin, 58, who has held the post for the past four years, tendered his resignation on Tuesday as Putin began his fifth presidential term in a glittering inauguration at the Kremlin.

Mishustin’s reappointment was widely expected by political observers, who noted that Putin valued his skills and low political profile. Mishustin, the former head of Russia’s tax service, avoided political statements and did not give media interviews during his previous tenure.

Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the lower house of parliament, said Putin had submitted Mishustin’s nomination to the State Duma, which will hold a session to consider it on Friday.

Under constitutional changes approved in 2020, the lower house approves the nomination of the prime minister, who then nominates cabinet members.

Mishustin and other technocrats in the cabinet are credited with maintaining relatively stable economic performance despite harsh Western sanctions. Most cabinet members are also expected to retain their posts and are expected to be reappointed soon.

However, the fate of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu appeared uncertain after his top aide Timur Ivanov was arrested last month.

Read more HERE

[andronetalks]

Russia detains deputy of defense minister Sergei Shoigu for corruption

New York Post By ReutersPublished April 24, 2024, 4:50 a.m. ET Russian security services detained one of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s deputies on suspicion of taking major bribes, the highest-profile corruption case since President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was detained on Tuesday, according to a brief 22-word statement by…

[cyberbenb]

Russian media: Russian deputy defense minister detained for bribery stripped of his position, assets

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, who was detained the previous day on suspicion of receiving a bribe, was ordered to be dismissed from his position and had his assets seized, the state-ru Source : kyivindependent.com/russian-m…

[williamchasterson]

Top Russian defence official accused of taking bribes

Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov is remanded in custody in a rare case against a high-ranking official. from BBC News https://ift.tt/kQ1yT5g via IFTTT

[mongowheelie]

‘Big Scandal’ Behind Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov’s Arrest

[mariacallous]

Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Main Personnel Directorate, has been arrested on suspicion of taking “especially large bribes,” the Russian Investigative Committee reported on Tuesday.

The charges are related to incidents that allegedly occurred during the general’s tenure from 2021–2023 as head of the 8th Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, which encompasses the Defense Ministry’s State Secrets Protection Service. Investigators allege that Kuznetsov “accepted a bribe from representatives of commercial structures for performing certain actions on their behalf.”

Law enforcement reportedly raided Kuznetsov’s home, where they confiscated over $1 million worth of rubles, foreign currency, gold coins, collectible watches, and luxury items.

A law enforcement source reportedly told the state news agency TASS that Kuznetsov was arrested “after the interrogation of a second defendant in the case who testified against the general.” Kuznetsov could face up to 15 years in prison under the charges.

Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and state media outlets first reported Kuznetsov’s arrest on Monday evening. Online court records indicate that a Moscow military court held a remand hearing against someone with Kuznetsov’s full name on Monday, though it’s unclear what restraint measures were selected.

Kuznetsov’s arrest marks the second arrest of a high-ranking Defense Ministry official for alleged corruption in recent weeks. In late April, the Russian authorities arrested Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov for taking over a billion rubles (over $10 million) in bribes. Media reports following the arrest suggested that the corruption charges against Ivanov were meant to cover up a more serious treason investigation, but his lawyer has denied this.

On May 12, Vladimir Putin removed Sergey Shoigu from his post as Russia’s defense minister and appointed him as the secretary of the Russian Security Council. Shoigu led the Defense Ministry for nearly 12 years, from November 2012 to May 2024. Andrey Belousov, a longtime presidential economic adviser who’s served as a deputy prime minister since 2020, is his replacement.

[thegazete24]

Russische viceminister van Defensie opgepakt op verdenking van corruptie

24 april 2024 VRT In Rusland is Timur Ivanov, de viceminister van Defensie, in voorlopige hechtenis geplaatst. Zijn naam dook op in het onderzoek …Russische viceminister van Defensie opgepakt op verdenking van corruptie