Russia’s former defense minister sentences 13 years in prison for corruption charges
MOSCOW (AP) – Russia’s former deputy defense minister was convicted on Tuesday for embezzlement and money laundering and sentenced 13 years in prison in a high-profile case that exposed rampant military corruption that has been widely attributed to Moscow’s military setback in Ukraine.
Timur Ivanov is the most obvious figure in a wide investigation into the so-called military grafting, which also targets several other senior officials, close to former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Shougu is a senior official with personal connections with President Vladimir Putin, who survived his inner circle and received a new high-profile position as Minister of the Russian Security Council.
Ivanov, 49, was appointed Deputy Secretary of Defense in 2016 and oversees military construction projects, as well as property management, housing and medical support for the military. He is known for his extravagant lifestyle that angered many in Moscow, just as the battle in Ukraine exposed the obvious flaws of Russian military organizations and led to battlefield setbacks.
Ivanov, who has been in custody since his arrest in April 2024, has committed crimes by the Moscow city court and embezzled 3.9 billion rubles (about $50 million) in an allegation he denied. The court has also seized his assets, including precious real estate and a range of vintage cars.
Ivanov’s lawyers said they would appeal the judgment.
Ivanov was approved by the United States and the European Union for its role in Moscow in military operations in Ukraine.
