A former Russian army commander who raised concerns about the country’s high military casualties in Ukraine has been detained on suspicion of large-scale fraud.
Maj Gen Ivan Popov, 49, will be held in custody for two months, Russian state-run media reported.
Gen Popov was sacked as commander of the 58th army last year after publicly alleging mass deaths and injuries among Russian soldiers and lack of artillery support.
On Tuesday, Russia’s Tass and Ria Novosti news agencies announced that Gen Popov was suspected of large-scale fraud.
He has denied all allegations.
His case is expected to be handled by the 235th garrison military court.
Without further details, it was added that his detention was a „preventative measure” following a decision by the Moscow-based court on 17 May.
Gen Popov was sacked in July 2023 after complaining publicly about Russian military problems in Ukraine: „It was necessary either to keep quiet and be a coward or to say it the way it is”, he famously declared.
„I had no right to lie in the name of you, in the name of my fallen comrades in arms, so I outlined all the problems which exist.”
Among the issues Gen Popov said he had highlighted to his superiors were the lack of proper counter battery systems to help repel Ukrainian artillery attacks, as well as a lack of military intelligence, reports the BBC.
The commander said his dismissal was demanded by senior commanders – who he accused of treason – and approved by the Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu.
Shoigu was earlier this month replaced by Andrei Belousov (an economist known to have little military experience).
Only in April, one of Shoigu’s deputies, Timur Ivanov, was arrested on corruption charge.
Last week, Gen Yuriy Kuznetsov, a senior defence ministry official, was arrested in a bribery investigation.
