Russia opens criminal case against former deputy defense minister

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Amid the ongoing crackdown against corruption, Russia said on Thursday that it opened a criminal case against former Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov on charges of fraud.

Svetlana Petrenko, the spokeswoman for Russia’s Investigative Committee, said in a statement that an investigation against Popov discovered he "enriched himself" while being responsible for the development, maintenance and operation of Moscow’s Patriot Park in 2021-2024.

Patriot Park is a theme park and exhibition center established in 2014 in the town of Kubinka in the Moscow region, and is themed around Russian military equipment and the Soviet Union's victory in World War II.

Petrenko said that the investigation found Popov worked together with Vladimir Shesterov, a senior Defense Ministry official, and Vyacheslav Akhmedov, the director of the theme park, who were also detained earlier this month on charges of embezzlement.

Popov organized construction and repair work for his own property in the Moscow region’s Krasnogorsky district “at the expense of the Patriot Park,” Petrenko further said.

“In addition, through his subordinates, he forced the heads of commercial organizations that had contractual relations with the Patriot Park to carry out construction and installation work in his suburban apartments without paying for them,” she revealed.

She added the investigation uncovered that he and his family own numerous real estate properties in Moscow, as well as the Moscow and Krasnodar regions, that are valued at more than 500 million Russian rubles (about $5.4 million).

She said that the legality of the acquisition of these properties is also being verified.

A number of corruption cases have recently been filed against former and active high-level Russian military officials over suspicions of corruption and embezzlement.​​​​​​​