Pavel Popov, a former Russian deputy defense minister, was arrested on suspicion of fraud related to an ongoing scandal over Moscow's "Patriot Park," the state-run media outlet TASS reported on Aug. 29.
Popov also served as an assistant to Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia's Security Council, who was the defense minister until his dismissal in May 2024. Popov was dismissed from military service by Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2024.
The arrest of Popov follows earlier episodes related to alleged corruption at the Patriot Park. Vyacheslav Akhmedov, the park's director, and Major General Vadim Shesterov were detained earlier in August for allegedly skimming state funds intended for the park.
Popov is accused of using construction companies contracted for work on the park to construct a private residence. According to Russia's Investigative Committee, Popov forced contractors to do work on his residence and did not pay them.
After constructing the estate and landscaping the area, Popov allegedly continued "to provide technical and economic maintenance" to his three hectare property with state funds.
The Investigative Committee also said Popov and his family own property in "prestigious" areas of the capital and Moscow and Krasnodar oblasts worth more than 500 million rubles ($5.5 million). Investigators are determining the circumstances and legality of the properties' acquisition, the committee said.
The Patriot Park, a military-themed tourist attraction in a Moscow suburb, opened in 2016 and features displays related to the Russian army and the Soviet Union's victory in World War II. It has since expanded to include propaganda related to the full-scale war in Ukraine, such as displays of captured military equipment.
Popov's arrest was the latest in a series of investigations and detentions of former and current officials from Russia's Defense Ministry, in what some have characterized as a "purge."
Earlier in August, Vladimir Pavlov, the head of the Russian military's clothing and food supplier Voentorg, was detained on fraud charges.
The previous month, Dmitry Bulgakov, who formerly served as a Russian deputy defense minister until September 2022, was arrested on corruption-related charges.
The day before, Andrei Belkov, the head of the military construction company linked to Russia's Defense Ministry, was arrested on suspicion of corruption.
Belkov was previously supervised by former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, who is currently also under investigation on corruption-related charges.
In May, Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov, the head of the personnel department of the Russian Defense Ministry, was detained on criminal charges, and Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, a deputy chief of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff and head of the Main Directorate of Communications, was arrested for allegedly receiving a large bribe.
Kateryna Hodunova
