Confessing to taking bribes, the duo are the latest to be arrested in a ‘purge’ by the Defence Ministry.
Russia has charged two military officials with accepting bribes, adding to a series of arrests related to corruption within the Ministry of Defence. The accused confessed to receiving $120,000 in bribes over three years, with analysts calling the arrests a purge amid the conflict in Ukraine.
The two officials, Ivan Populovsky and Grigory Zorin, allegedly took bribes from companies providing electrical goods to the ministry. In exchange, they were expected to provide benefits and weaken oversight in state contracts for these companies.
Several high-ranking officials, including Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov and Lieutenant-General Vadim Shamarin, have been arrested on corruption charges. The former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has also faced scrutiny, being replaced by economist Andrei Belousov for tighter budget management.
The arrests highlight the ongoing battle against corruption in Russia’s military, with past failures and allegations of incompetence adding to the urgency for reform.