Russian court detains Deputy Defense Minister Ivanov for bribery

On Wednesday, a Russian court ordered the detention of one of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's deputies on suspicion of taking bribes, marking the highest-profile corruption case since President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in 2022.

Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was arrested at his workplace on Tuesday on charges of accepting a substantial bribe from the Federal Security Service (FSB), the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB.

The Basmanny District Court in Moscow ordered Ivanov to remain in custody until June 23. Ivanov, 48, was depicted in uniform, standing in a glass enclosure and frowning slightly during court proceedings, as seen in footage released by the court service.

The investigation alleges that Ivanov collaborated with third parties and, together with them, designed in advance an organized criminal scheme aimed at obtaining “property and services on a particularly large scale during contract and subcontract work for the Ministry of Defense,” according to the court.

If convicted, Ivanov, who claims his innocence, could face up to 15 years in prison. The case was widely covered by state media.

The Kremlin confirms that Putin and Shoigu have been informed about the situation, while the defense ministry refuses to give a comment. Sergei Borodin, a close confidant of Ivanov, is also accused of involvement in the bribery conspiracy.

Ivanov, who became deputy minister in 2016, supervised property management, housing, construction and mortgages at the defense ministry, which has seen increased spending since the start of the war.

Ivanov has long been the subject of media scrutiny. The Russian Anti-Corruption Foundation, run by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has exposed Ivanov and his family's lavish lifestyle, including yachts, helicopters, trips to the French Riviera, diamond purchases and extravagant properties such as ownership of a 19th-century mansion in Moscow.

Since Ivanov is in custody, he declined to comment. Putin last month ordered the FSB to intensify efforts to fight corruption in state defense procurement.

Source: Reuters