A Moscow court has sentenced Timur Ivanov, Russia’s former Deputy Defense Minister, to 13 years in prison for his role in a large-scale corruption scheme. Ivanov, 49, was convicted of embezzling over 4.1 billion rubles (approximately $52.4 million) and accepting bribes during his time overseeing military construction projects—a post he held since 2016.
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a 100 million ruble fine (around $1.2 million) and ordered the revocation of his state honors. The hearings, held behind closed doors since March, concluded with what independent journalist Farida Rustamova described as the harshest sentence given to a senior Russian official in modern times.
The charges included foreign bank transfers and fraudulent procurement of ferries intended for a transport route between Russia and Crimea. Ivanov’s associate, Anton Filatov, former head of the Defense Ministry subsidiary Oboronlogistika, was also sentenced to 12.5 years for his involvement.
Nicknamed the “glamorous general” in Russian media due to his wealthy lifestyle, Ivanov was a close ally of former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who was ousted in May 2024 amid growing scrutiny over Defense Ministry finances.
The case is part of a broader Kremlin-led anti-corruption drive that has targeted several top defense officials since Ivanov’s arrest in April 2024. He has been under U.S. and EU sanctions since 2022 for his role in Russia’s military expansion, particularly during the Ukraine conflict. Reports suggest a new bribery investigation may still be underway.