The head of the Main Communications Department of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, was detained for two months on suspicion of a large bribe in Moscow.
What is known about the Gerasimov’s deputy arrest
It is noted that criminal proceedings were opened against Shamarin and searches were conducted.
After that, Gerasimov’s deputy was sent for questioning to the main military investigative department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
The court was informed that Shamarin was arrested for two months in the case of receiving a particularly large bribe.
Russian media noted that the lieutenant general was arrested in the case of receiving a bribe in the 235th Garrison Military Court.
Previously, Deputy Minister of Defence, Timur Ivanov, and the head of the main personnel department of the Ministry of Defence, Lieutenant General Yuriy Kuznetsov, were detained and arrested. Both are accused of receiving a particularly large bribe.
As for Yuriy Kuznetsov, he is charged with receiving a bribe in the amount of 30.5 million rubles (300,000 EUR). Timur Ivanov is accused of receiving 1.185 billion rubles (10m EUR).
In addition, on May 17, the ex-commander of the 58th Army of the Southern Military District, Ivan Popov, was arrested in a fraud case.
What is known about Putin's purges of the top military leadership of Russia
The former commander of the 58th Army of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Major General Ivan Popov, was arrested on suspicion of fraud.
Russian media writes that the major general was arrested on May 17 in the case of fraud committed by an organised group or on a large scale (Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code). The case is handled by the Military Counterintelligence Department of the FSB, initially the investigation was conducted against Popov.
According to the version of the investigation cited by Russian media, Popov sold about two thousand tons of metal products, which were intended for the construction of fortifications in the Zaporizhzhia region, where the major general during his service led the defence.
Russian media reports that the former commander of the 58th Air Defence Army, Major General Ivan Popov, was arrested on charges of fraud. This is the same general who spoke with fervent criticism of the Russian command in 2023, tried not to silence the problems at the front, advocated for the rotation of Russian troops and threatened to bring all these problems directly to Putin. It is believed that Gerasimov himself removed him from the post of commander of the 58th Army at that time,” journalist Ihal Levin commented on the situation.
At the same time, Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin is currently seeking to surround himself with technocrats to protect the Russian economy and continue the criminal war against Ukraine.
In particular, Andrii Belousov, who has no military experience, was recently appointed to the post of head of the Ministry of Defence of the aggressor country.
According to analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin's replacement of Sergei Shoigu as head of the Russian Defence Ministry indicates the Kremlin's preparations for a protracted war against Ukraine.
