The Investigative Committee of Russia has detained Deputy Minister of Defense Timur Ivanov for two months. His luxurious lifestyle does not align well with Putin's call to create an "elite" from participants in the war.

This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain on Twitter.

As stated in the summary, Ivanov has been charged with committing a crime under Part 6 of Article 290 of the Russian Criminal Code, namely receiving a bribe on a large scale. Some offenses under Article 290 are punishable by imprisonment for up to 15 years.

Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced that Vladimir Putin has been informed of the arrest. Ivanov denies any wrongdoing. Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu has also been informed. Ivanov served as deputy prime minister of the Moscow Region government in 2012 when Shoygu was governor of the Moscow Region. Therefore, it is quite likely that he has longstanding ties with Shoygu, the statement said.

According to British intelligence, Ivanov was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense in 2016 and reportedly played a significant role in reconstruction projects in Mariupol. In the income declaration for 2018, it is allegedly stated that Ivanov owned 22 cars.

"Reports of Ivanov's reported luxurious lifestyle sit awkwardly with Putin's call in February in his state of the nation address for a new national elite comprised of the heroes of the special military operation. The Ivanov affair is the most serious scandal to hit the MOD since then Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov was dismissed in November 2012," the British Ministry of Defense said.