What's happened
Two Russian military officials, Ivan Populovsky and Grigory Zorin, have confessed to accepting bribes totaling $120,000 from suppliers to the Defense Ministry. This arrest is part of a broader crackdown on corruption within the military amid ongoing scrutiny following the invasion of Ukraine.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Al Jazeera, the Investigative Committee revealed that Populovsky and Zorin accepted bribes from companies supplying electrical goods to the Defense Ministry, with the expectation of weakening oversight. The Moscow Times elaborates that this is part of a broader purge, noting that since April, several high-ranking officials have been arrested, including Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov. The scrutiny of military corruption has intensified since the invasion of Ukraine, with calls for accountability growing louder. The articles highlight a pattern of corruption that has plagued the military since the Soviet era, now coming under renewed focus due to the ongoing conflict.
How we got here
Corruption within the Russian military has been a longstanding issue, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Since April 2024, numerous military officials have been arrested as part of a significant purge, including the dismissal of former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
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