Continuing Purges: Russian Military Official Apprehended in Fraud Case

Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, Deputy Chief of the Russian Army's General Staff, has been apprehended in Moscow, as reported by "Kommersant." He is now a suspect in a criminal investigation linked to alleged fraudulent activities. Following a search, Shamarin was taken in for interrogation at the Main Military Investigative Department of the Russian Federation's Investigative Committee, with the case being handled by the 235th Garrison Military Court.

Shamarin, who heads the main communications department of the Russian Armed Forces and serves as the deputy to General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov, is facing legal scrutiny. Notably, his predecessor in this role, Colonel General Khalil Arslanov, has been under pre-trial detention since 2020 due to a case involving fraud in equipment procurement for the armed forces.

This recent detention of Shamarin adds to a series of notable actions within the Ministry of Defense. Towards the end of April, a Moscow court remanded former Deputy Minister Timur Ivanov to custody in connection with a significant bribery case. Moreover, on May 17, Major General Ivan Popov, the former commander of the 58th Army, was arrested on suspicion of fraud. Popov had previously clashed with General Staff leadership in 2023.