Brief version of the news
- Yuri Kuznetsov, a high-ranking official of the Ministry of Defense, was detained in Russia.
- This is the second high-profile detention recently after the arrest of Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov.
- Kuznetsov was detained as a suspect in a criminal offense and the investigator has already applied to the court to select a preventive measure.
Russian media report the detention of another official of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Yuri Kuznetsov. He served as head of the personnel department.
It is reported that the criminal case is related to Kuznetsov’s former place of work. This is the second high-profile arrest in recent times. Most recently, Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was arrested in Russia.
Kuznetsov's detention
The head of the personnel department of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Yuri Kuznetsov, was detained as a suspect in a criminal offense. It is reported that a person with the same name as Kuznetsov was registered the day before at the base of the 235th Military Garrison Court and was taken to select a preventive measure.
The Main Military Investigation Department is investigating the case management of the investigative committee. The investigator has already applied to the court to select a preventive measure for the general in the form of detention.
Yuri Kuznetsov was detained in Russia/Russian media
Who was he before
Russian media write that the criminal case is related to Kuznetsov’s previous work. We are talking about the position of head of the 8th Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (State Secrets Protection Service). He held this position from 2010 to May 2023 – after which he became the head of the Main Personnel Department.
Changes in Russian Ministry of Defense
- Vladimir Putin fired Sergei Shoigu on May 12 and appointed Andrei Belousov to the post of Defense Minister, who had previously served as first deputy chairman of the Russian government.
- Instead, Shoigu received a new position – secretary of the Security Council instead of Nikolai Patrushev. The decree on the latter states that the dismissal occurred “in connection with the transition to another job.” Perhaps he will be appointed as an adviser to Putin, because he has long been close to the Russian dictator. Patrushev is the bearer of Putin’s bloodiest and darkest secrets.
- Journalists from The Times noted that one of the reasons for Shoigu’s resignation was the Kremlin’s need for a good manager in the Ministry of Defense. Shoigu is notorious for wastefulness and incompetence, and Russia needs efficient weapons production and optimal satisfaction of military needs. He could not provide this – Belousov should fix it.
