Investigative authorities have asked the Military Court of the 235th Garrison to detain Yuri Kuznetsov, the head of the Main Personnel Department of the Ministry of Defense of Russia, in connection with a criminal case. This request was reported in court records and confirmed by officials familiar with the matter.
“The court has received a petition from the investigation to choose a preventive measure in the form of arrest for Yuri Vasilyevich Kuznetsov”, the court stated.
According to the court’s official website, the hearing is scheduled for Monday at 18:25 Moscow time. At present, there is no public disclosure of why Kuznetsov is suspected, and the substance of the case remains undisclosed. A Telegram channel affiliated with Military Correspondents of the Russian Spring cites sources asserting that the lieutenant general has been detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center.
Similar Name, Possible Confusion
There is no official confirmation from the Ministry of Defense at this time. However, archival records from the 235th Garrison Military Court show an entry matching the name Yuri Vasilyevich Kuznetsov, including the exact initials of the top official in the Main Personnel Department. Those records indicate a hearing on May 13 about arrest as a preventive measure for Kuznetsov, and note that the lieutenant general was not at his workplace on that day.
Reports from TASSSearches indicate that searches were conducted at the person’s residence and at his place of work.
“The investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Main Military Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. The investigator has filed a motion with the court seeking detention for the general”, an official source said.
Kuznetsov has led the Main Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defense since May 2023. Prior to that post, he headed the Eighth Directorate of the General Staff since 2010, a unit responsible for providing the Ministry of Defense with critical information for managing the armed forces. Kuznetsov also has experience handling state secrets. For his service, he was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the Order of Military Merit, and the Order of Honor.
Corruption in the Ministry of Defense
On April 23, investigators detained Timur Ivanov, who held the office of Deputy Minister of Defense. The following day, the Moscow Basmanny Court ordered his arrest. Ivanov faces accusations of accepting bribes totaling at least 1.185 billion rubles between 2018 and 2023. Investigators say the corruption scheme involved facilities in Moscow opposite the residence of Patriarch Kirill and included repair and reconstruction work on the Volkonskaya – AK von Mecca estate in the 19th century, as well as the Pankratovo estate in the Tver region.
Authorities identify Timur Ivanov and entrepreneur Sergei Borodin as beneficiaries of these projects. Alexander Fomin, a co-founder of Olimpsitistroy and a major contractor for the defense ministry, allegedly helped route payments for the repairs and reconstructions. Ivanov and Borodin are charged with receiving large-scale bribes under Part 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, while Fomin faces bribery charges under Part 5 of Article 291. All three are in custody as the case proceeds.