Former Deputy Chief of the Ministry of Defense Pavel Popov is set to move to a general cell in the Butyrka pre-trial detention center after completing a full battery of medical checks conducted during quarantine. The transfer was confirmed through reports from law enforcement circles. The move marks a new phase in his ongoing legal proceedings and custodial arrangements as the case develops.
According to a law enforcement source, Popov has been placed in a designated quarantine cell at the outset. There he will undergo a comprehensive medical evaluation to ensure his health status is properly documented and monitored during the early stages of detention. Once this assessment is concluded, the plan is to relocate him to a standard common cell alongside other detainees, within the general housing areas used for pre-trial confinement.
Officials emphasized that Popov will be kept in a facility separated from those who are serving sentences for violent crimes. In addition, he will have the opportunity to receive food deliveries from shops and restaurants as part of the center’s services. To arrange these services, Popov would need to submit a formal request to the head of the pre-trial detention center. If approved, he will be issued a special account that allows family members and friends to fund his meals and other approved purchases, ensuring he has access to external provisions while in custody.
The Moscow court docket shows that Popov was arrested in relation to an alleged fraud on August 29 and is currently held in the pre-trial detention facility known as Butyrka, designated as center-2, with a planned detention period extending to October 29. This period may be adjusted depending on the course of the investigation and pending procedural decisions, which could influence subsequent stages of the case and any potential extensions of detention terms.
Prior to the arrest, law enforcement officials detained Popov on suspicions connected to enrichment at the Patriot Park complex in the Moscow region. Investigators have been examining reports of substantial misappropriations within the management of the park and related development projects. The investigation claims that Popov, during his time as a senior defense official, organized and oversaw the construction and improvement of his own suburban property within the Krasnogorsk district while concurrently engaging in development work connected to the park and its vicinity from 2021 through 2024. The case has drawn attention to questions of governance, oversight, and the allocation of resources tied to high-profile infrastructure and defense-related assets in the region, with authorities pursuing a thorough factual and legal assessment of his role and responsibilities in these activities.
Observers who have followed the case note that there have been past insinuations suggesting Popov’s family involvement in related commercial ventures. In a separate thread of activity, it has been reported that traces of sales of military equipment associated with Popov’s household surfaced online in connections that raised suspicions about potential conflicts of interest or improper alignment between private interests and public duties. The evolving investigation continues to unfold, with officials continuing to gather evidence and testimonies to clarify the extent of any wrongdoing and to determine appropriate legal resolutions within the framework of the applicable law.