News Feed

Another Russian defense ministry official arrested on suspicion of corruption

2 min read
Another Russian defense ministry official arrested on suspicion of corruption
The Russian Defense Ministry headquarters in Moscow on April 17, 2023. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)

Major General Valery Mumindzhanov, deputy commander of military logistics for the Leningrad Military District, was arrested on Sep. 2 for allegedly receiving a bribe of over 20 million rubles ($224,000).

Mumindzhanov's arrest was the latest in a series of investigations and detentions of former and current officials from Russia's Defense Ministry, in what some have characterized as a "purge."

According to Russia's Investigative Committee, Mumindzhanov is accused of receiving the bribe while helping facilitate defense ministry contracts for military uniforms.

Investigators determined that Mumindzhanov and his family own several properties in Moscow and Voronezh worth a combined total of 120 million rubles ($1.3 million). The legality of the property acquisitions is being determined, the Investigative Committee said.

Mumindzhanov is the sixth official to be arrested who is connected to Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia's Security Council, who was the defense minister until his dismissal in May 2024.

In August, Vladimir Pavlov, the head of the Russian military's clothing and food supplier Voentorg, was detained on fraud charges.

The previous month, Dmitry Bulgakov, who formerly served as a Russian deputy defense minister until September 2022, was arrested on corruption-related charges.

The day before, Andrei Belkov, the head of the military construction company linked to Russia's Defense Ministry, was arrested on suspicion of corruption.

Belkov was previously supervised by former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, who is currently also under investigation on corruption-related charges.

In May, Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov, the head of the personnel department of the Russian Defense Ministry, was detained on criminal charges, and Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, a deputy chief of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff and head of the Main Directorate of Communications, was arrested for allegedly receiving a large bribe.

There has also been an ongoing corruption scandal related to Moscow's "Patriot Park," which has so far resulted in the arrest of three defense ministry officials.

Putin gives relative promotion in Russian Defense Ministry
Anna Tsyvilova has been sanctioned by both the United Kingdom and the European Union over her connections to Putin and her support for the invasion of Ukraine.
Article image
Sign up for our newsletter
WTF is wrong with Russia?
News Feed

The World Bank will provide $200 million over the next five years to prepare Ukrainian projects for large-scale reconstruction, the Economy Ministry announced on July 11. The funding will be available under the five-year PREPARE program with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).

Video

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, war has become a daily reality for thousands of Ukrainian children. Some Ukrainian military units, such as the Azov Brigade, offer boot camps for teenagers to teach them the basics of self-defense, first aid, dry firing, and other survival skills — helping them prepare for both the realities of today and the uncertainties of the future.

Show More