Russian Deputy Defence Minister Dismissed Amid Corruption Allegations

Russian authorities have dismissed Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov, who has been jailed on bribery charges. Ivanov, arrested in April, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. The court has extended his pre-trial detention, and he is among several senior military officials recently arrested on corruption charges.

In a significant development Thursday, Russian authorities formally dismissed Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov, who has been jailed on bribery charges and accused by Kremlin critics of leading an extravagant lifestyle. According to Russian media reports, a court ordered that his pre-trial detention be extended by three more months.

Timur Ivanov, aged 48, is one of several high-ranking military officers recently arrested on corruption charges. A close ally of former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who was replaced by President Vladimir Putin last month, Ivanov was detained in April and charged with accepting a particularly substantial bribe. His lawyers maintain that he is innocent. The Basmanny District Court in Moscow extended his detention until at least September 23 pending investigation and trial. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Reports from Russian media, referencing an online registry of government officials, confirmed Ivanov's dismissal from his post. His lawyer, Denis Baluyev, affirmed the dismissal to Russian business news site RBK, though the exact date of his firing remains unclear. In recent months, other senior military officials, including deputy chief of the Russian military general staff Lt. Gen. Vadim Shamarin, former top commander in Russia's offensive in Ukraine Gen. Ivan Popov, and Defence Ministry's personnel directorate head Lt. Gen. Yury Kuznetsov, have also faced bribery charges. Ivanov, appointed in 2016 by a presidential decree, had oversight of property management, housing, medical support, and construction projects within the military. His arrest followed a directive from President Putin for the Federal Security Service to intensify the anti-corruption effort, focusing on state defence procurement.

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