A Russian deputy defense minister has been detained on suspicion of taking bribes, the country's top investigative body said on Tuesday. The Investigative Committee said Timur Ivanov had been detained and an investigation was underway. Ivanov, 47, was appointed to the defense ministry in 2016. He was in charge of Russia's military infrastructure projects.
In 2022, the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF) accused Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov of participating in a "corruption scheme during construction work in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine." The organization was founded by the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. In particular, Timur Ivanov benefited from construction projects in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol.
Although Ivanov's arrest was announced, no details were given on how the Russian Deputy Defense Minister responded to the allegations against him.
The report said Ivanov was detained under Part 6 of Article 290 of the Russian Criminal Code, which applies only when the amount of bribes taken by the suspect exceeds one million rubles.
Timur Ivanov was previously deputy prime minister of the Moscow region, where current Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu briefly served as governor. He is said to have been a close aide to Shoigu. Ivanov is reportedly subject to sanctions by the United States and the United Kingdom, and the European Union has imposed a travel ban and frozen his assets.
