The case against the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Timur Ivanov, may involve other Russian officials. Corruption remains one of the main problems in the Russian army.
This was reported by the British Ministry of Defense on Twitter.
According to intelligence reports, the investigation into the corruption case involved the First Deputy Minister Sergey Shoigu Ruslan Tsalikov, who was questioned by the FSB. Tsalikov is referred to as the "patron" of Ivanov. He is effectively the third person in the Russian Ministry of Defense after Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
Tsalikov has long-standing ties with Shoigu. He worked under Shoigu at the Ministry of Civil Defense, Emergencies, and Disaster Relief of the Russian Federation, and then followed him first to the office of the Governor of the Moscow Region, and in 2012 - to the Ministry of Defense.
There are also suggestions that Ivanov's case may involve the Minister of Finance of Russia, Anton Siluanov. According to reports, construction agencies of the Ministry of Defense built a house for Siluanov.
British intelligence notes that corruption in the Russian Ministry of Defense is one of the main problems. In 2019, the Chief Military Prosecutor of the Russian Federation, Valery Petrov, stated that corruption is practically the root of most problems in the rule of law.
Corruption has been a factor in Russia's poor efficiency, especially at the beginning of the Ukrainian conflict. This includes expired rations and poor-quality tires, as well as reports of fuel theft.
Recall that on April 23, a Deputy Minister of Defense, Timur Ivanov, was detained in Russia on suspicion of bribery. He was placed in custody.
