A former Russian defense official was detained Thursday on fraud charges, according to Russian state-run media.
The detention marks the latest arrest of a senior military official in Russia.
Former Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov was detained on suspicion of committing fraud, and he faces up to 10 years in prison if charged and convicted, Russian state media reported Thursday.
Popov served as a deputy defense minister from 2013 until June 2024 when he was dismissed by presidential decree.
Popov’s arrest appears to be part of a broader crackdown on abuse of office in the upper echelons of Russia’s military. The former official is now the eighth top military figure to be arrested on charges related to bribery, fraud and abuse of office in recent months.
The case against Popov is linked to business activities at Moscow’s Patriot Park. Created to foster patriotism among younger Russians, the park features an air base, museums and a Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces.
Popov led development of Patriot Park. He is accused of renovating his own properties in the Moscow area at the park’s expense, according to Russian state media. He is also accused of forcing contractors to do work for him for free.
Svetlana Petrenko, from Russia’s Investigative Committee, told the state news outlet Tass that Popov forced Patriot Park contractors to work on “out-of-town apartments without paying for them.”
Popov’s various properties are worth $5.5 million, and investigators are determining whether they were acquired legally, Petrenko said.
Some information in this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
