Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, intensified his crackdown on senior military figures by apprehending Andrei Belkov, the Director of the Defense Ministry’s Military Construction Company.
Belkov, aged 46, faces allegations of power misuse while carrying out a state defense order. According to Russian newspaper Kommersant, he was apprehended for purchasing a tomograph at an inflated price during his time as the head of another military unit within the defense ministry—the Main Military Construction Directorate for Special Facilities.
Russia: Timur Ivanov’s subordinate Andrei Belkov arrested. Director of Defense Ministry’s Military Construction Company accused of purchasing a CT scanner at an inflated price, indicating embezzlement of state funds. https://t.co/6VztDH0ZzI pic.twitter.com/BVAt9OSnl2
— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) July 24, 2024
A source informed the state-run news agency Interfax that “A criminal case has been initiated against Andrei Belkov for abuse of power in executing a state defense order, managed by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs,” on Thursday.
Former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov supervised Belkov’s activities, and he was arrested on April 23 on suspicion of receiving bribes. Since Ivanov’s detention, five other high-ranking officials from the ministry and general staff, including Belkov, have been taken into custody.
An insider closely linked to the Kremlin and the Defense Ministry disclosed to the independent Russian news source Moscow Times in May that “an intense cleanup is in progress.” They added, “The purges are far from over. More arrests are on the horizon.”
An investigative Russian site, Agentstvo, stated on Thursday that Belkov’s arrest signifies that Putin’s military purge is ongoing. Since late April, at least six senior military officials have been detained.
The most recent arrest of a defense ministry figure occurred on May 24, when Vladimir Verteletsky was charged with power abuse. According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, he allegedly accepted a bribe related to work not carried out under a government contract in 2022.
In May, Vadim Shamarin, deputy chief of the Russian General Staff, was also arrested for alleged fraud, as reported by Kommersant. Shamarin, a close aide to Russia’s top general Valery Gerasimov, had been the deputy chief of the Russian General Staff since 2021.
Yuri Kuznetsov, head of Russia’s Defense Ministry’s personnel department, was detained in May on suspicion of taking a bribe.
Major General Ivan Popov, former commander of Russia’s 58th Army, was arrested for suspected fraud, as per state news agency Tass on May 21. Popov had criticized the Russian Defense Ministry for inadequate support to his troops before being relieved from commanding Russian forces in Ukraine’s annexed southern Zaporizhzhia region in July 2023.
Kommersant reported that a comprehensive investigation is underway concerning contracts made during Belkov’s tenure at the Defense Ministry’s Military Construction Company, as well as his personal finances and unofficial connections.