Russia’s ex-deputy defense minister handed 13-year sentence on corruption charges

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s former deputy defense minister was convicted on Tuesday on charges of embezzlement and money laundering and handed a 13-year prison sentence in a high-profile case that exposed rampant military corruption widely blamed for Moscow’s military setbacks in Ukraine.

Timur Ivanov is the most visible figure in a far-ranging probe into alleged military graft that also targeted several other top officials close to former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Shoigu, a veteran official who had personal ties to President Vladimir Putin, survived the purges of his inner circle and was given the new high-profile post of secretary of Russia’s Security Council.

Ivanov, 49, was named deputy defense minister in 2016 and oversaw military construction projects, as well as property management, housing and medical support for the troops. He was known for his lavish lifestyle that outraged many in Moscow just as the fighting in Ukraine exposed glaring deficiencies in Russian military organization and supplies that resulted in battlefield setbacks.

Ivanov, who has been in custody since his arrest in April 2024, was convicted by the Moscow City Court of embezzling 3.9 billion rubles (about $50 million), the charges that he denied. The court also confiscated his assets that included prized real estate and a collection of several dozen vintage cars.

Ivanov’s lawyers said they would appeal the verdict.

Ivanov has been sanctioned by both the United States and the European Union for his role in Moscow’s military action in Ukraine.

Among numerous other big-ticket projects, Ivanov oversaw the construction of the Patriot Park, which was sometimes called Russia’s “military Disneyland.”

The sprawling facility west of Moscow has hosted displays and demonstrations of weaponry and served as a venue for battle reenactments. Its 5,400 hectares (over 13,300 acres) host a firing range, museums, a conference center and even a massive, khaki-colored Russian Orthodox cathedral devoted to the armed forces. Putin has personally donated money to commission the main icon for the church, according to the Kremlin.

The park’s director, Vyachslav Akhmedov, was among a host of officials arrested as part of the military corruption probe. Another former deputy defense minister, Pavel Popov, also was arrested and accused of pilfering state funds allocated for the park in order to build himself a country estate. Popov, Akhmedov and several other former officials remain in custody pending trial.