Corruption and embezzlement - New arrests in connection with scandals in Moscow's military apparatus
The series of arrests due to corruption and fraud scandals in the Russian military shows no signs of abating. The former head of the procurement department, responsible for acquiring items such as laundry and cleaning supplies for the army, has been arrested for accepting bribes on a large scale, the Investigative Committee in Moscow announced. Vladimir Demtschik, the officer in question, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Previously, the director of the Patriot military park was also arrested for embezzling state funds. Several army generals, including two former deputy defense ministers, are already in custody.
Investigations against Demtschik are still ongoing. According to initial findings, he received 4 million rubles (approximately 42,000 euros) from a businessman in 2017 to secure a contract with the ministry. The company then earned 574 million rubles through further orders over the next two years.
Several high-ranking military officials are currently in detention. At the end of July, former deputy defense minister Dmitri Bulgakow was taken into custody. The 69-year-old, a recipient of the "Hero of Russia" award, was responsible for the material and technical equipment of the armed forces during the initial months of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, until he was dismissed following numerous blunders on September 24, 2022.
The Russian military apparatus is known for its extreme corruption. Under the new defense minister, Andrei Beloussov, the military leadership is also being cleaned up from abuse of power and embezzlement. Recently, the vice chief of the General Staff, Vadim Schamarin, and the head of the Main Directorate of Personnel, Yuri Kusnezov, were arrested.
All these scandals date back to the time of defense minister Sergei Shoigu, whom Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin relieved of his post in May and appointed as the new secretary of the Security Council. Putin appointed the renowned economist Beloussov to manage the immense budget expenditures for the war more effectively.
The Russian defense minister, Andrei Beloussov, is leading efforts to eradicate abuse of power and embezzlement within the military leadership. The Russian military, notoriously known for its corruption, is undergoing significant changes to combat this issue.
