Kremlin intensifies purges in defense industry - British intelligence
Photo: Kremlin stepping up its purges in defense sector since the beginning of the war against Ukraine (Getty Images)
The Kremlin is conducting purges in the defense industry. Since the start of the war against Ukraine, repressions against those "insufficiently politically protected" have intensified, according to the British Ministry of Defense on X.
According to Russian media, Andrei Belkov, the head of the Military Construction Company of the Russian Ministry of Defense, was arrested on charges of corruption related to procurement activities.
The Military Construction Company was established in 2019. Former Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu praised the company for its "special internal and external audit regime." However, corrupt Russian officials used the company for personal enrichment.
Additionally, on July 23, 2024, a court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced the former director of the Zvezda-Strela tactical missile plant to prison for embezzlement and price gouging.
"Corruption is endemic in the Russian defense industry. In 2007, an audit commissioned by the then Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov revealed that 70% of Ministry of Defence budgetary resources were used for purposes other than those officially designated. Some of this corruption is tolerated by the Kremlin, but there have been increasing crackdowns on those not sufficiently politically protected since the start of the war in Ukraine," the summary states.
Purges in the Russian Ministry of Defense
Recall that a few months earlier, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin replaced the Minister of Defense. Andrei Belousov was appointed to the position, while Sergey Shoigu was made Secretary of the Russian Security Council.
In addition, the deputy defense minister Timur Ivanov was previously detained in Russia on suspicion of corruption.
It also recently became known that another former deputy of Shoigu was sent to pre-trial detention on alleged corruption charges.
