This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
In a landmark case highlighting a deepening purge within Russia’s defense and security establishment, a court in Moscow sentenced former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov to 13 years in prison.
The Moscow City Court on July 1 found Ivanov, the most visible figure in a massive probe into alleged military corruption that also targeted several other top officials close to former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, guilty of large-scale embezzlement and money laundering.
In addition to the prison sentence, Ivanov was fined 100 million rubles ($1.1 million), and stripped of his state honors, including the prestigious Order “For Merit to the Fatherland” (2nd Class) and the title of “Honored Builder of Russia,” both of which are highly esteemed in Russian military and political circles.
Also convicted in the same case was Anton Filatov, the former head of the state-linked logistics company Oboronlogistika, who received a 12.5-year prison sentence.
Ivanov, once considered a rising star in Russia’s defense ministry and a close associate of then-Defense Minister Shoigu, oversaw major construction and procurement projects, including infrastructure for the Russian military. He played a key role in rebuilding occupied territories in Ukraine.
Less than three weeks after Ivanov’s arrest in late April 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose military had been criticized at home for a perceived lack of progress and heavy losses during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sacked Shoigu.
Ivanov’s arrest sent shockwaves through the Russian elite, especially as it coincided with the dismissal of several other senior defense officials.
The case against him involved complex financial schemes and kickbacks related to state contracts, which had long been suspected but rarely prosecuted at such high levels.
Ivanov maintained his innocence throughout the trial. His legal team has stated they will appeal the ruling, saying they “disagree with the court’s decision.”
Ivanov’s sentencing is part of an ongoing and intense crackdown on top military and defense industry figures, which was launched quietly in late 2023 and accelerated in 2024. In recent months, several generals and procurement officials have been arrested or dismissed on charges ranging from corruption to treason.
Many observers view these arrests as part of a power reshuffle after Russia’s military struggled at times in Ukraine, prompting Putin’s efforts to reassert control over increasingly fractured security agencies.
While state media have framed the arrests as part of a long-overdue fight against corruption, independent analysts and Russian opposition figures suggest the campaign is also politically motivated.
It appears to target figures once aligned with powerful “siloviki” factions — military and intelligence elites whose influence has grown during the war.
