In Russia, one of Defense Minister Shoigu’s twelve deputies is suspected of corruption: Timur Ivanov, who is on EU and US sanctions lists, is said to have accepted large-scale bribes.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov has been arrested in Russia on corruption charges. Ivanov is accused of “committing a crime under Section 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code (bribery),” the Russian Investigative Committee said. This is apparently about a “particularly high” bribe amount.
As the Interfax news agency reports, citing Moscow’s Basmanniy Court, Ivanov and an acquaintance, who is also said to have been arrested, are said to have engaged in “a criminal conspiracy with other people.” Accordingly, the Moscow court ordered Ivanov to be in pre-trial detention for two months. According to Russian media, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
Responsible person for military construction projects
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, a report on Ivanov’s arrest has been submitted to President Vladimir Putin. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was informed about this in advance.
Ivanov is one of Shoigu’s twelve deputies. In his role, which he has held since 2016, he has so far been responsible for real estate issues – including the organization of property management, the construction of military facilities and troop accommodation, and the accommodation of medical care for the armed forces.
Circumventing EU sanctions through divorce?
In connection with the Russian war against Ukraine, Ivanov is on sanctions lists in both the USA and the EU. According to media reports, he was also responsible for construction projects in the occupied eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which Russia’s army completely destroyed during the siege in the first months of the war in 2022.
According to research by Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, Ivanov also personally benefited from the awarding of construction contracts in Mariupol. The 48-year-old is also said to have divorced his wife to enable her to circumvent EU sanctions. Forbes magazine listed the cybernetics and nuclear industry expert as one of the richest people in Russian security structures.