The Russian Investigative Committee announced on Thursday that it has initiated a fraud case against Pavel Popov, a former deputy defence minister, marking another in a series of corruption investigations. This is the third case involving a high-ranking defence official linked to the construction of a military theme park. Earlier this month, Major General Vladimir Shesterov and Vyacheslav Akhmedov, the director of the war-themed Patriot Park near Moscow, were detained on suspicion of fraud.
The Investigative Committee stated that Popov, who has been in his position since 2013 and is responsible for the development, maintenance, and operation of Patriot Park, allegedly enriched himself at the expense of the establishment. Patriot Park, a significant tourist attraction, showcases a wide array of Russian and Soviet weaponry and provides visitors with the opportunity to explore tanks and participate in combat simulations.
Investigators claim that starting in 2021, Popov diverted various building materials from Patriot Park to his own country house for installation work. The fraud probe also includes an examination of several properties owned by Popov and his family members, valued at over 500 million roubles ($5.47 million).
Popov is now one of at least a dozen officials embroiled in the largest wave of corruption scandals to affect the Russian military and defence establishment in years. In May, following the initial arrests, President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly replaced long-serving defence minister Sergei Shoigu with economist Andrei Belousov, a move widely interpreted as an effort to tighten control over Russia's extensive defence budget and reduce waste and corruption.
Popov, 67, is a graduate of a military academy and served for 17 years in Russia's Emergencies Ministry. Shoigu, now the secretary of Russia's security council, headed the Emergencies Ministry from 1991 to 2012.
