Russian Authorities Arrest Defense Ministry Officials Andrei Belkov and Dmitry Bulgakov for Corruption

Jul 26, 2024, 10:54 AM

Russian authorities have arrested Andrei Belkov, the head of the Defense Ministry's Military Construction Company, on suspicion of corruption. Belkov is accused of procuring a CT scanner at an inflated price, indicating a plot of state funds embezzlement. This arrest follows the detention of former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, who was jailed in April for alleged bribery. The arrest of Belkov is part of a broader crackdown on corruption within the Russian military, which has seen several high-ranking officials detained in recent months, including the removal of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Additionally, former Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov has been detained by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in connection with a corruption case. Bulgakov, who served as Deputy Minister of Defense from 2008 to 2022 and was responsible for logistics, was placed in pretrial detention in Moscow. Bulgakov was awarded the Hero of Russia title in 2016, according to Kommersant.