High-level bribery arrest in Russia

The bribery investigation within the Russian Ministry of Defense continues. In a written statement issued by the Investigative Committee of Russia, it was announced that Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov, Head of the Main Personnel Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense, has been arrested on charges of accepting bribes.

Investigative Committee of Russia spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko stated, “The Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia suspects Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov, Head of the Main Personnel Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense, of accepting large-scale bribes. Based on the investigation records, the court has decided to remand Kuznetsov in custody as a precautionary measure.”

Noting that a search was conducted at Kuznetsov's home, Petrenko said, “During the searches conducted at the suspect's actual place of residence, more than 100 million rubles (35 million 400 thousand TL), banknotes in foreign currency, gold, collectible watches, and luxury items were seized.”

UP TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON

Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, under which Kuznetsov is charged, carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years. Born in Russia's Mordovia region, the 55-year-old Kuznetsov had been serving as the Head of the Main Personnel Directorate since May 2022.

Meanwhile, on April 23, Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia Timur Ivanov was also arrested by the court on suspicion of accepting bribes. Following the emergence of bribery scandals within the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not include Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu in the new government cabinet, appointing Andrey Belousov in his place.