Russia's Deputy Head of the General Staff detained
Numerous controversies, dismissals, and arrests have been destabilizing Russia's military leadership for several weeks. The most recent arrest involves Vadim Shamarin, Russia's Deputy Chief of the General Staff. According to state news agencies, Shamarin was arrested over bribery charges, and his house was searched. He is accused of accepting bribes on a massive scale, which is punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment in Russia.
This is the fourth apprehension of a high-ranking military official since April. Back then, Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov faced the same accusation for alleged "large-scale" bribes. This was the highest-level corruption case in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The next arrest occurred in mid-May, involving Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov, Head of the Ministry's Cadre Administration. He too is being accused of bribery. Rybar, a pro-Kremlin Telegram channel, speculated that the investigations could be connected to his former role in the Russian General Staff, where he dealt with confidential matters.
Loyalty is favoured over expertise
Just a few days later, Major General Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army situated in the Caucasus, was apprehended. Popov is accused of fraud. Notably, he had been dismissed from his post in 2023 over criticisms about controversial decisions made by the Ministry of Defense in a speech. Duma deputy Andrei Gurulev released an audio recording of Popov's speech, which was probably meant for fellow officers or superiors. The response from politicians and propagandists was fulminant, with Popov's statements being vehemently disapproved. The US Institute for the Study of War asserted that Popov's arrest served as a warning to Russian military commanders, indicating that insubordinate officers would encounter harsh consequences, and that the Kremlin values loyalty over competence.
On May 13, President Vladimir Putin replaced the long-standing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu with ex-Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov. Shoigu was given a new position as the Secretary of National Security Council.
The current purge in the Ministry of Defense can be attributed to the change in leadership, according to ntv correspondent in Moscow, Rainer Munz. "Shoigu's supporters are being removed from the ministry," Munz remarked. ISW added that these individuals are being swapped for officials with close ties to the Russian economy in anticipation of a prolonged war.
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Amidst these corruption allegations and purges within Russia's military leadership, some have speculated that the attacks on Ukraine could be used as a distraction. Critics point out that Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin often use external conflicts to divert attention from domestic issues, such as corruption.
These accusations of corruption within the Russian military leadership have caused significant upheaval, with Russia's Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Vadim Shamarin, being the latest high-ranking official to face charges. His arrest over bribery charges is the highest-profile case since Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022.
Source: www.ntv.de
