Corruption charges shake Russian defence sector as arrests escalate

On Sunday, the British Ministry of Defence announced two new investigations into corruption initiated in Russia against representatives of the local defence sector. Corruption in the Russian defence industry is the norm, but persecution of individuals lacking political protection has increased, it was reported.

The latest intelligence update reported that Andrei Belkov, head of the Military Construction Enterprise, under the Russian Ministry of Defence, was arrested on corruption charges.

Former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu praised this company for its supposedly "extraordinary audit system." British intelligence assessed that this company was likely used in corruption schemes from which Russian officials benefited.

On 23 July in Rostov-on-Don, the former director of the tactical missile plant "Zvezda-Strela" was imprisoned for financial fraud and price gouging.

In the Ministry of Defence's statement, it was noted that corruption is an "endemic" phenomenon in the Russian defence industry because an audit in 2007 revealed that as much as 70 per cent of the ministry's budget funds were being misused.

Some of this corruption is tolerated by the Kremlin, but there have been increasing crackdowns on those not sufficiently politically protected since the start of the war in Ukraine, it was summarised.