13 officials arrested since May FSB purges Shoigu's team - yet he remains untouchable
No sooner has Vladimir Putin sacked his defense minister than the domestic intelligence service in office is cleaning up: Officials from Sergei Shoigu's entourage are being arrested for corruption in droves.
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- Since Sergei Shoigu was dismissed as defense minister on 12 May, at least 13 high-ranking military officials have been arrested on corruption charges.
- "The FSB is purging Shoigu's team," confirms a Kremlin source with regard to the domestic intelligence service.
- While his former subordinates end up in prison or in the cemetery, Shoigu himself remains untouchable as an old friend of Putin.
On 12 May 2024, an era comes to an end in the Kremlin: Vladimir Putin dismisses Sergei Shoigu as Defense Minister after a decade in office, but nine days before his 69th birthday, he promptly gets a new job: Shoigu is now Secretary of the Russian Security Council.
There are several reasons for his resignation: Firstly, Andrei Beloussov, who succeeds Shoigu, is to put the economy on a war footing. Secondly, the economist is supposed to get the increasing corruption under control, according to "Breaking Defense". A third aspect is therefore better cooperation with China.
Shoigu continues to have great influence: as Secretary of the Security Council, he has a say in both defense and foreign policy. He is still a member of the Military-Industrial Commission and the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, which deals with arms sales abroad.
Job and sometimes even life lost
And while Shoigu travels to Tehran in his new role to negotiate arms deliveries with Iran, no stone is left unturned at his former place of work: A wave of purges is sweeping through the Ministry of Defense, which has already cost 13 officials their jobs - and sometimes their lives.
Even before Shoigu's dismissal, one of his deputies was targeted by the judiciary: Timur Ivanov had already worked with his boss before he joined the Ministry of Defense - when he was his deputy as governor of Moscow in 2012. He is said to have collected around ten million francs.
However, the 48-year-old was arrested on April 23 on the accusation that he had accepted bribes. One day later, Shoigu had to release him. He is apparently also charged with treason. His subordinate Magomed Khandayev, who is responsible for military construction projects, is also arrested in June. The 61-year-old is supposed to appear as a witness, but dies unexpectedly in custody in July.
Up to ten years in prison for corruption
Another Kremlin official who is said to be in trouble with the judiciary is Alexei Krivoruchko: the former general director of the Kalashnikov Group is responsible for state procurement in the Ministry of Defense. The FSB is investigating him on suspicion of fraud in the purchase of bulletproof vests.
After Shoigu's dismissal, there is movement in the ministry: just one day later, on May 13, Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov is visited by the police. The head of the cadre administration is accused of bribery: He is said to have collected up to one million francs
On May 17, Major General Ivan Popov is caught: the military justice system accuses the former commander of the 58th Army of fraud. He is alleged to have sold material intended for the fortification of Zaporizhia. The damage is estimated at 100 million roubles, or just under one million francs. He faces up to ten years in prison.
Five high-ranking military officers arrested in May alone
On May 23, the handcuffs clicked again: This time it was Wadim Schamarin. The 52-year-old head of the main communications department is alleged to have taken large bribes when concluding contracts. On the same day, Vladimir Valentletsky from the Procurement Office was also arrested for allegedly accepting bribes amounting to 670,000 francs.
Werteletsky is said to be a close friend of Shoigu and was responsible for the procurement of computers and information technology. The fifth high-ranking military officer to end up behind Swedish bars in May is Sukhrab Akhmedov. His critics claim that the Major General is incompetent.
In June, the Kremlin continues its iron grip on the Ministry of Defense: On June 17, Ruslan Zalikov, Nikolai Pankov, Pavel Popov and Tatyana Shevtsova, all of whom were Shoigu's deputies, were relieved of their duties. The latter was responsible for financial and economic work in the ministry.
Shoigu has stood by Putin's side for decades
On August 5, Major General Vladimir Shesterov and Vyacheslav Akhmedov were visited by the police: the managers of the Patriot military amusement park in Kubinka near Moscow were accused of taking bribes amounting to a good 384,000 francs.
With so many arrests, is it possible that Shogu did not know what was happening in his office? Hardly: the minister is probably part of the corruption problem. In fact, the "Moscow Times" wrote back in May that an "unprecedented campaign" had been launched.
"A tough clean-up operation is underway: the [domestic intelligence service] FSB is purging Shoigu's team. The security forces have permission from the very top," says a Kremlin source. However, this was to be expected after the departure of the defense minister. At the time, the source continued: "There is still a long way to go before the purge is complete."
Another interlocutor emphasizes that Putin needs a scapegoat for the sluggish war in Ukraine. However, Shoigu himself is sacred to the 71-year-old: the two have been friends for decades. This also explains why the ex-minister promptly got a new job: He is still a force to be reckoned with.
