Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov has been arrested. There is an (unofficial) version that he is being persecuted not for a bribe, but for treason. Main

The Basmanny Court of Moscow authorized the arrest of Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Timur Ivanov. The deputy minister will remain in custody in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center until at least June 23. He has been charged with receiving a bribe on an especially large scale (Part 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) – Ivanov faces imprisonment for a term of eight to 15 years or a multimillion-dollar fine. The plot of the case is still unclear – neither the investigation nor the defense provided details. The court’s report only noted that the bribe was received in the “provision of services of a property nature during contracting and subcontracting work for the needs of the Ministry of Defense.”

Ivanov’s lawyer Denis Baluev told the media conflicting information. He told the TASS agency that in the case “money as a subject of bribe does not appear at all” and that “the sane amount is over a million rubles.” In a conversation with Kommersant FM, he said that “the amount appears,” but it is “very relative and will be adjusted.” “But a textbook bribe, as we imagine it in everyday life in the form of transferring money for some obviously illegal action or inaction, is not charged here; the composition here is much more complex,” he emphasized. Baluev also noted that Ivanov denies guilt and is “cooperating with the investigation.”

Another person involved in the case, businessman Sergei Borodin, was arrested along with Ivanov., he was charged under the same article as Ivanov. The court noted that Borodin and Ivanov entered into a criminal conspiracy “while being on friendly terms.” The Dossier Center in a 2023 investigation called Borodin a “confidant” of the deputy minister – in particular, according to journalists, the Volzhsky Bereg company, headed by him, built Ivanov’s estate in the Tver region. Borodin is the owner of several companies, as well as the amateur hockey club “Red Stars,” which was called “the team of the Deputy Minister of Defense.”

Shot writes that Borodin and Ivanov were family friends and baptized each other’s children, and together with the deputy minister’s ex-wife Svetlana Maniovich (they divorced in 2022 – according to the VChK-OGPU telegram channel, so that she would avoid sanctions) Borodin had a common business. Telegram channel “112” claims that the entrepreneur was previously accused in another case – and as part of a pre-trial agreement, he testified against Ivanov.

Interfax, citing a source, reported that there is a third person involved in the case, who is suspected of giving a bribe. According to the agency, the issue of a preventive measure has not yet been decided. There is no other information about this person yet.

The publication “Important Stories” wrote that Ivanov is suspected of treason, citing two sources close to the FSB. “A bribe is for the public. So far they don’t want to talk publicly about treason – it’s a big scandal: after all, the Deputy Minister of Defense,” said one of the publication’s interlocutors. According to the second source, Russian President Vladimir Putin “gave the command after he managed to convince that this was a matter of treason,” and “no one would have detained Ivanov for corruption.” First Department lawyer Evgeny Smirnov noted after the publication that Ivanov’s operational development was handled by the military counterintelligence department, which usually does not deal with corruption issues. At the same time, Ivanov’s lawyer Murad Musaev told RIA Novosti that “there are no other charges besides the announced charge of bribery.”

The Kremlin urged not to listen to the “shuffle”. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin does not know about the material in “Important Stories” and suggested focusing on official information. “All this reasoning [о госизмене] – nothing more than speculation around this matter. You need to rely on information from investigative authorities. And, of course, ultimately – the court’s decision,” Peskov said. He also noted that Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu maintain “daily contacts.” At the same time, Peskov avoided answering the question whether they discussed Ivanov’s case.