Upheaval in Russian defence: High-ranking generals arrested
The Russian Ministry of Defense is experiencing an upheaval, which began in mid-May with a change in the department's head. The Moscow Times reports that the Federal Security Service (FSB) is going after high-ranking generals, with the approval of dictator Vladimir Putin.
Within two weeks of Sergei Shoigu's dismissal, four high-ranking Russian army generals were arrested on corruption charges, according to the independent "The Moscow Times." Sources close to the Kremlin indicate that this is just the beginning of what could potentially be one of the most extensive purges in modern Russian history.
For instance, General Vadim Shamarin, the deputy chief of staff of the Russian army, Valery Gerasimov, was detained on corruption charges. Investigators accuse him of accepting a huge bribe, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
Earlier, Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was detained on corruption charges, and then Yuri Kuznetsov, responsible for human resources in the department. During the same period, as mentioned, Vladimir Putin dismissed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who had held the position since 2012.
The beginning of the purge in the Russian Ministry of Defence
- I think by the end of the year, dozens, maybe hundreds of people of different ranks will be arrested in all Defence Ministry units - a Russian government official told the newspaper.
The operation is being conducted by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation—in other words, special services. Sources of "The Moscow Times" claim that the purge is punishment for failures in the war in Ukraine, especially when it comes to what Vladimir Putin expected at the beginning of the conflict, based on data from, among others, the FSB.
- There must be one single party to blame for the failure of the invasion. It is either the special services, which were engaged in intelligence and analytical preparations for the war and promised Putin a triumphant operation and a quick victory but failed, or the 'second army of the world' under PR-czar Shoigu, which was supposed to ensure Putin's victory - explains the interlocutor of the Russian newspaper.
