A Russian military court has sentenced Pavel Popov, a former deputy defense minister, to 19 years in prison on corruption charges, state news agency RIA reported, as reported by Reuters.
This is the most severe sentence so far in a series of similar cases that have shaken the top of the Russian military system.
Popov, 69, was arrested in the summer of 2024 on suspicion of fraud related to the construction of Patriot Park, a military-themed tourist attraction near Moscow that displays a large amount of Russian and Soviet weapons.
He pleaded not guilty, according to Russian state news agencies. It is not yet known whether he intends to file an appeal.
Another former high-ranking official of the Ministry of Defense, Major General Vladimir Šesterov, was sentenced to six years in prison last July for fraud related to the same park. The park director is also awaiting trial.
Investigators stated that starting in 2021, Popov diverted various construction materials from the park to his house in the countryside.
He is the latest in a series of a dozen officials who have been caught up in the biggest wave of corruption scandals to hit the Russian Ministry of Defense in recent years.
The arrested officials were closely associated with former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who was unexpectedly fired by President Vladimir Putin two years ago and replaced by economist Andrey Belousov, in what is widely seen as a move to strengthen control over the huge military budget and crack down on corruption.
Another former deputy minister of defense, Timur Ivanov, was sentenced in July 2025 to 13 years in prison for accepting bribes and embezzlement.
A third, Ruslan Calikov, was charged with similar offenses last month.
(Vijesti.ba/Fena)
