Former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov Arrested for Fraud

By Xinhua

Pavel Popov, the former Deputy Defense Minister of Russia, has been arrested on charges of large-scale fraud, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Popov, who served as the deputy defense minister from 2013 until his dismissal in June 2024, is currently being held in a pre-trial detention center. The court has ordered him to remain in detention until October 29.

Investigations revealed that Popov, alongside Vyacheslav Akhmedov, the director of the Patriot military-patriotic park, and Vladimir Shesterov, a deputy head of the Ministry of Defense’s Main Directorate for Innovative Development, misappropriated significant sums of money between 2021 and 2024.

Popov allegedly used his position to divert funds from the park for personal gain, including funding the construction, renovation, and furnishing of his private estate located in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow. Additionally, he is accused of coercing companies contracted by the park to perform work on his private property free of charge, while continuing to exploit park resources for its upkeep.

Popov’s military career spans several key roles. Before becoming the Deputy Defense Minister, he served as the Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations from 2008 to 2013 and later joined the Ministry of Defense as an aide to Minister Sergei Shoigu. Popov was appointed as the Deputy Defense Minister in November 2013, where he oversaw scientific research, technological development, and robotics testing until his recent dismissal.

This arrest comes amid an ongoing investigation into corruption and fraud within Russian military and defense institutions, signaling a crackdown on high-level misconduct in the country’s defense sector.