The Russian military department has been rocked by the biggest scandal of the last 10 years

The Investigative Committee of Russia detained Deputy Minister of Defense Timur Ivanov for two months. His lavish lifestyle does not sit well with Putin’s call to create an “elite” of war veterans. This is according to the latest report of the British intelligence on the social network X.

As noted, Ivanov is accused of committing a crime under item 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, namely receiving a large bribe. Some crimes under Art. 290 are punishable by imprisonment for up to 15 years.

The president’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said that Vladimir Putin had been informed of the arrest. Ivanov denies that he is guilty. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was also informed. Ivanov was deputy prime minister of the Moscow Oblast government in 2012 when Shoigu was governor of the Moscow Oblast. He is therefore likely to have long-standing ties to Shoigu, the report said.

According to British intelligence, Ivanov was appointed deputy defense minister in 2016 and is said to have played an important role in Mariupol reconstruction projects. The 2018 income statement claims Ivanov owns 22 cars.

Reports of Ivanov’s lavish lifestyle do not sit well with Putin’s call in February in his address to the nation to create a new national elite made up of “special military operation” heroes. The case of Ivanov is the most serious scandal that has affected the Ministry of Defense since November 2012. Then the Minister of Defense Anatoly Serdyukov was sent to resign,” notes the British Ministry of Defense.