Corruption is formal guise to dismiss senior officials of Russian Defence Ministry – ISW

The Kremlin is purposefully removing senior officials from the Russian Defence Ministry and has already extended this effort to dismiss high-ranking officers in charge of Russian combat operations in Ukraine. Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Quote: "The Kremlin is likely using the guise of corruption charges as an excuse to hide the real reasons for ousting specific individuals from the MoD who have fallen from favor, as ISW has recently assessed."

Details: The Investigative Committee of Russia announced on 23 May the arrest of Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, Deputy Chief of the General Staff and the Head of the Main Communications Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, and Vladimir Verteletsky, the Head of the Department of Public Procurement of the Russian Defence Ministry.

Shamarin is accused of receiving a bribe of at least 36 million roubles (about US£392,000), and two people involved in the case from the Russian telecommunications industry have agreed to testify against him. Verteletsky is accused of corruption and receiving a large bribe, which resulted in a total loss of 70 million roubles (US£763,000). Five senior Russian Defence Ministry officials and former military commanders were arrested on corruption charges following the arrest of Russian Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov that occurred on 24 April.

A Russian insider source previously claimed that six more Defence Ministry officials are planning to resign after former Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was removed from the post. Russian ultra-nationalist military bloggers also claimed that the Russian Ministry of Defence fired Lieutenant General Sukhrab Akhmedov, the commander of the 20th Combined Arms Army (Moscow Military District). ISW could not confirm Akhmedov's dismissal, but the announcement of his resignation is drawing attention as it would be the first dismissal of an officer actively commanding Russian forces in Ukraine in a recent wave of dismissals.

Currently, the 20th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade is focused on offensive operations on the Lyman front and was unable to achieve significant tactical success in this area during the offensive on the Kharkiv-Luhansk front in the winter and spring of 2024.

Official statements from the Kremlin and speculation by bloggers about arrests and changes in command indicate that more senior officers of the Russian Federation may be at risk of dismissal.

To quote the ISW's Key Takeaways on 23 May:

The Kremlin is pursuing a concerted effort to remove senior Russian defence officials and has likely expanded this effort to senior officers commanding Russian combat operations in Ukraine.
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