Russian Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov detained for allegedly taking bribe

MOSCOW: Russian Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov, who was detained for allegedly taking a bribe, appeared in Moscow court on Wednesday, CNN reported, citing Russia's Investigative Committee.

Timur Ivanov is suspected of accepting a bribe of 1 million Rubles and faces up to 15 years in prison if he is convicted, CNN reported, citing TASS. A video released by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti showed him standing in a glass box in the courtroom in Moscow.

The US and European Union had imposed sanctions against Ivanov as he has been viewed as a senior architect of Russia's military action in Ukraine. The allegations make this a high-profile corruption case in Russia since the war between Moscow and Kyiv started in February 2022.

Ivanov's responsibilities include reconstructing Russian-occupied Mariupol in Ukraine. He has been spotted inaugurating various construction projects in Mariupol, the report said.

In April 2023, late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny's International Anti-Corruption Foundation's (ACF) chairperson Maria Pevchikh mentioned Timur Ivanov had "one of the most lucrative jobs that one can have in the Ministry of Defence."

Previously, the ACF alleged that Ivanov had earned a sizeable pay for leading construction for the Russian army. In 2023, Maria Pevchikh told CNN that Ivanov's wealth with assets including a historical house in one of Moscow's most expensive districts has been made by "corruption." According to ACF, Ivanov, already a wealthy man, hugely benefited from the war between Russia and Ukraine.