Another high-ranking official within the Russian Defense Ministry has been detained on allegations of bribery, officials announced Tuesday. This development comes shortly after President Vladimir Putin's recent Cabinet reorganization, which saw the replacement of the defense minister, sparking speculation of further purges within the ministry.
According to Russia's top state criminal investigation agency, the Investigative Committee, Lt. Gen. Yury Kuznetsov, who headed the ministry’s main personnel directorate, was apprehended on bribery charges and is now in custody pending investigation and trial.
Kuznetsov stands accused of accepting a substantial bribe, an offense carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Following his arrest, authorities conducted searches at his residence and other properties, seizing gold coins, luxury items, and over 100 million rubles (approximately $1 million) in cash, as detailed in a statement by the committee.
Putin's recent reshuffle of his Cabinet, coinciding with the commencement of his fifth term, saw the replacement of Sergei Shoigu, who held the position of defense minister for over a decade, with Andrei Belousov, an economist and former deputy prime minister. Shoigu was subsequently appointed as the secretary of Russia's Security Council, a role akin to that of the U.S. national security adviser, taking over from Nikolai Patrushev.
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Patrushev, a longstanding influential figure in Putin’s inner circle known for his hawkish stance, was reassigned as a presidential aide. Additionally, Alexei Dyumin, governor of the Tula region and a speculated successor to Putin, was appointed as a presidential aide in the reshuffle.
The future of Shoigu’s close associates within the Defense Ministry became uncertain under Belousov's leadership, especially following the recent arrest of Shoigu’s deputy, Timur Ivanov, on bribery charges. Ivanov remains in custody pending further investigation, a move widely interpreted as a potential precursor to Shoigu's dismissal.
Shoigu, known for his close ties to Putin and his involvement in various activities, including accompanying Putin on vacations to the Siberian mountains, was granted a new senior role. However, questions loom over the fate of his inner circle within the Defense Ministry.
Shoigu has been a pivotal figure in Putin’s decision-making process, notably regarding the deployment of Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022. However, criticism has mounted against him and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff, for military setbacks, such as the failure to capture Kyiv and subsequent retreats from northeastern and southern Ukraine in 2022.
The recent Cabinet reshuffle occurs amidst ongoing offensives by Russian troops in multiple sectors in Ukraine, perceived by many as a crucial phase in the conflict, especially with a perceived slowdown in Western aid to Ukraine.
In response to concerns about appointing an economics expert with no prior military experience as defense minister, the Kremlin has underscored that Gen. Valery Gerasimov, responsible for directing operations in Ukraine, remains in his position.
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