Laughter amidst turmoil: Russian defence ministry upheaval
Nikolai Patrushev, aide to the President of Russia, and Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev smiled broadly as Defence Minister Andrey Belousov expressed gratitude to his predecessor, Sergei Shoigu, for "his achievements in the development of the defence department."
"I would like to sincerely thank Sergei Shoigu for creating a solid foundation in the development of the armed forces," Belousov stated during the extended Monday meeting of the Ministry of Defence's board under the chairmanship of Vladimir Putin.
They couldn't contain their laughter
As Belousov uttered these words, the camera showed Sergei Shoigu. Like the rest of the participants, all wore stone-faced expressions. The Moscow Times observed that only Patrushev and Kolokoltsev smiled noticeably.
Shoigu served as defence minister for over 12 years and was dismissed in May 2024 after unsuccessful attempts to secure a military victory over Ukraine. He assumed the role of Secretary of the Security Council, and three of his former deputies were arrested on corruption charges.
A series of arrests in the Russian ministry
In the summer of 2024, Pavel Popov, a former deputy head of the Ministry of Defence, was arrested on fraud charges in constructing the "Patriot" park.
Earlier, the court arrested two more of Shoigu's deputies – Dmitry Bulgakov for corrupt transactions worth approximately £13.5 million.
Timur Ivanov also received a sentence for accepting a bribe of approximately £12.5 million.
Vadim Shamarin, deputy chief of the General Staff, and Yuri Kuznetsov, head of the Main Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defence, were also arrested.
