Shoigu’s Deputy Arrested on Bribery Charges, Faces 15 Years in Prison

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was detained on Tuesday evening, April 23, on suspicion of taking a bribe, Russian media outlet TASS reports.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s deputy was sent to a pre-trial detention center for two months until June 23, 2024. Russian prosecutors allege Ivanov took a bribe of at least 1 million rubles ($10,800), during contracting and subcontracting works for the Defense Ministry.

The court confirmed the bribery allegations against Shoigu’s deputy, according to TASS.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said both Shoigu and President Putin were informed of Ivanov’s detention, TASS reported.

TASS law enforcement sources say the prosecutors will seek a prison sentence for Ivanov of up to 15 years.

Who is Timur Ivanov?

Timur Ivanov has worked in the Defense Ministry for over 10 years and has been Deputy Defense Minister since 2016. Before that, he was the head of Oboronbud, a joint-stock company under the Ministry of Defense, for three years. Previously, he worked as a deputy prime minister of the Moscow region and at Russian fuel and energy companies.

Ivanov oversaw construction-related issues at the Defense Ministry, where he was responsible for building the main temple of the armed forces, the Vostochny Cosmodrome. After the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he was placed in charge of the project to supposedly restore occupied Mariupol, which sustained extensive damage inflicted by the Russian Armed Forces.

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