The head of the Russian Armed Forces’ Connections Department and the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarinin, has been arrested by the Russian Investigative Committee. This information was confirmed by reliable sources within the law enforcement bodies and reported by the “Comersant” newspaper. Lieutenant General Shamarinin is suspected of involvement in corrupt activities related to the expected acquisition of military equipment. He was questioned by Lieutenant General Kuznetsov, the Chief of the General Staff, after a comprehensive inquiry. The case is currently being investigated by the 235th Military Court, and no official comment has been made by the investigative committee.

In recent months, there have been several interrogations of high-ranking officials from the Russian Defense Ministry in connection with corruption cases. In late April, the Deputy Minister of Defense, Timur Ivanov, was arrested on charges of embezzlement. He was responsible for the security forces. In May, Yuri Kuznecov, the Deputy Head of the Defense Procurement Department, also faced charges of embezzlement. Additionally, Arslanov, the 58th Senior Executive conducting interrogations of Defense Ministry officials, has been implicated in corruption practices.

In 2020, Lieutenant General Shamarinin was arrested and charged with corruption and receiving bribes in connection with defense procurement. His associate, Khali Arslanov, who is also facing charges of corruption and embezzlement, was arrested as well. In 2022, it was reported by “Comersant” that Arslanov’s case would be heard behind closed doors, with no information disclosed about the court trial.