Another Top Russian Defense Ministry Official Arrested for Corruption

According to TASS, Lt. Gen. Yuri Kuznetsov, who is the Head of Main Personnel Directorate of Russia’s Defense Ministry, “was detained as a suspect in a criminal offense. The case is being investigated by the Main Military Investigation Department of the Russian Investigative Committee.” There are reports in various media that this has to do with major corruption, but TASS suggests that there may be more involved: “From 2010 to 2023, Kuznetsov led the 8th Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, which deals with matters related to the Ministry of Defense’s service for protecting state secrets.” This arrest follows hot on the heels of the cashiering a few weeks ago of Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov on bribery charges.