Controversy in Russia: Former Deputy Defense Minister Sentenced to 13 Years for Corruption and Money Laundering
In Russia, a highly publicized court proceeding concluded with the conviction of former Deputy Minister of Defense Timur Ivanov, who received a prison term of 13 years. The official charges stem from massive corruption schemes involving embezzlement and laundering millions of rubles. Details reported by the Russian BBC indicate that the court found Ivanov guilty of particularly large-scale embezzlement and money laundering by an organized group, under Articles 160 and 174.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Additionally, Ivanov faces a fine of 100 million rubles and the revocation of his state awards, including the title of 'Honored Builder of the Russian Federation.' Along with him, another key figure — Anton Filatov, former head of 'Oboronlogistika,' received a sentence of 12.5 years. The trial was conducted behind closed doors, and Ivanov has denied any wrongdoing. He was initially charged with large-scale bribe-taking under Article 290, Part 6, but multiple other criminal cases have since been initiated against him. These include embezzlement of over 216 million rubles during the procurement of ferries for the Kerch Strait Bridge, and misappropriation of more than 2.9 billion rubles belonging to the Interkombi Bank. Other cases involve allegations of receiving bribes totaling more than 1.185 billion and 152 million rubles. Businessmen Sergey Borodin and Alexander Fomin, who pleaded guilty, are also involved and cooperating with investigators. Background information reveals that Ivanov, who served as Deputy Minister of Defense since 2016 and was considered a close ally of Sergei Shoigu, was detained on April 23, 2024, on suspicion of bribery. The Kremlin confirmed that Vladimir Putin was informed of the arrest, and Defense Minister Shoigu was pre-notified. Russian media reports suggest that the true motive behind Ivanov’s detention might be state treason. Ukrainian intelligence sources have indicated that Ivanov is currently held in a Russian detention center, pursued by Putin’s regime, following active investigations by Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate. In March 2023, Ukraine’s 'Ukrainska Pravda' reported that Ivanov’s wife, Svitlana, was seen vacationing in the French Alps in the resort of Courchevel, highlighting the complex and layered nature of this story.