Russian Deputy Defense Minister was detained on suspicion of taking a bribe, the Russian Investigative Committee said today, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
In a short statement of the Investigative Committee in the communication application "Telegram" it is said that Timur Ivanov has been detained and that an investigation is underway into suspicions of corruption.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Ivanov's detention had been reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian news agencies reported. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was notified in advance of the arrest, Peskov also said.
According to the magazine "Forbes" Ivanov, who is an expert on cybernetics and the nuclear industry, is one of the richest people in the Russian security establishment.
The offense of which Ivanov is suspected is punishable by a large fine or up to ten years in prison, depending on the specifics of the act committed.
Timur Ivanov is subject to European Union sanctions in his capacity as a high-ranking official of the Ministry of Defense who is responsible for the construction of military installations.
The anti-corruption fund created by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny published an investigation into Ivanov in 2022, notes AFP. According to that investigation, the deputy minister benefited from construction projects in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which was seized by Russian forces after a months-long siege. According to the investigation of the organization, banned in Russia for "extremism", Ivanov divorced his wife in order to circumvent EU sanctions.
"Today is a good day", Maria Pechih, who conducted investigations on behalf of the Anti-Corruption Fund, said on social networks. Like most of the prominent representatives of the opposition, Pevchikh is forced to live in exile in order not to be overtaken by the Kremlin's repressions, notes AFP.