Moscow, May 14, (dpa/GNA) – Following the transfer of Russia’s former defence minister Sergei Shoigu to other duties amid corruption investigations, another high-ranking Russian general has been arrested for taking bribes, state media reported on Tuesday.
Lieutenant-General Yuri Kuznetsov had received money from a company for favours, according to the state news agency TASS.
Cash totalling 100 million roubles ($1.1 million), including foreign currency, was seized in searches of his offices and home, a spokeswoman for investigators told the agency. Gold coins, luxury watches and other jewellery were also found.
The well-connected military blog Rybar said officials were probing Kuznetsov’s activities in his previous post within the general staff dealing with state secrets.
In late April, another high-ranking general and deputy defence minister, Timur Ivanov, was arrested by Russian authorities for accepting bribes.
Responsible for construction projects, Ivanov was considered a close confidant of Shoigu, whom President Vladimir Putin on Sunday replaced as defence minister during a shuffle of top officials.
However, Shoigu, 68, was given an honourable exit with his appointment as Secretary of the National Security Council, replacing another Putin confidant and ally, Nikolai Patrushev.
The uncovering of scandals at the defence ministry follow Russia’s more than two-year-long war against Ukraine, which has failed to achieve the Kremlin’s initial goals.
As Putin’s defence minister since 2012, Shoigu presided over Ukraine operations for over two years, despite major battlefield setbacks and high casualties that led to frequent changes in the senior command.
He was replaced as defence chief by Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, an economist with little military experience, just as Moscow seemed to be making headway in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Putin is keeping Patrushev close to him. In a decree issued on Tuesday, the Kremlin leader appointed the 72-year-old former intelligence officer as his advisor.
Patrushev is widely regarded as the mastermind behind Russia’s quest to resurrect its status as a great power and as one of the ideologues behind the war against Ukraine.
He will be responsible for shipbuilding, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who also remains in his position.
While still an important sector for Russia, both in military and civil terms, the appointment to shipbuilding command effectively removes Patrushev from strategic decision-making.
Putin left the head of his presidential administration Anton Vaino in office, as well as his first deputies Alexei Gromov and Sergei Kiriyenko. Former minister for economic development Maxim Oreshkin was named as another deputy head of the presidential staff.
Putin also brought his former personal security chief Alexei Dyumin, most recently governor of the Tula region, back to the Kremlin as an advisor. Observers consider Dyumin to be one of the next in line for future high-ranking office in Russia.