Russian law enforcement has detained Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov on suspicion of bribery, the Investigative Committee of Russia announced on Tuesday, reports The Moscow Times.
“Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Timur Vadimovich Ivanov, was detained on suspicion of committing an offense under Part 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code (bribery),” the committee announced on Telegram.
President Vladimir Putin has been informed of the high-ranking official’s detention, a rare measure in the context of the offensive in Ukraine, Russian state media reported.
Anti-corruption activists have for years criticized what they say is widespread corruption under Putin.
Ivanov is under European Union sanctions as a senior official of the Ministry of Defense, responsible for the construction of military installations.
He was the subject of an investigation published in 2022 by the Anti-Corruption Foundation of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
