Russia detains former deputy defense minister Tsalikov on corruption charges

Svetlana Petrenko, spokesperson for Russia’s Investigative Committee, announced that 69-year-old Ruslan Tsalikov, the former First Deputy Defense Minister, faces charges of establishing an organized crime group, 12 counts of embezzlement, two instances of bribery, and money laundering.

According to reports from the Kommersant daily, Tsalikov faces a sentence exceeding 20 years—effectively a life sentence in this context—and has categorically denied the allegations.

Tsalikov stated his readiness to cooperate with investigative authorities to establish the truth.

Federal Security Service (FSB) agents detained Ruslan Tsalikov yesterday. Searches of numerous residential properties owned by the former deputy minister’s relatives and associates revealed assets valued in the billions of rubles. Investigative authorities and the Prosecutor General’s Office will determine whether these assets will be seized for the state treasury as part of ongoing anti-corruption proceedings.

While the Investigative Committee has yet to officially disclose the particulars of the irregularities, sources familiar with the matter indicated that the case originated from an inquiry conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The file encompasses irregularities within the Voyentorg Group of Companies, which supplied military equipment and uniforms to the army at inflated prices. While the company’s former CEO, Vladimir Pavlov, has denied the charges, it is noted that four other contractors have confessed to the crimes and have been placed under house arrest.

According to the investigation, the corruption began during the procurement of personal care kits for the army. It was determined that these kits, sourced from the manufacturer, were sold to the ministry via intermediary firms at exorbitant prices.

Similar methods were reportedly employed in the procurement of undergarments, headgear, and uniforms. The losses identified in the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ file exceeded 2 billion rubles, while the combined current case file reportedly exceeds 6.6 billion rubles.

Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev raised the issue before the Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption on February 19.

Throughout his tenure, Tsalikov was among the officials supervising the activities of the Garnizon company, the founder of Voyentorg. Investigative authorities allege that the former deputy minister accepted bribes in the form of cash and valuable properties from companies conducting research work for the ministry between 2019 and 2020.

These proceeds were allegedly laundered through extensive commercial real estate investments held by the former official. Tsalikov’s legal counsel has yet to issue a statement regarding the matter.

As part of the investigation, the testimony of several former ministry officials currently in detention has been sought. These individuals include Timur Ivanov, who was previously sentenced to 13 years in prison for embezzlement.

Tsalikov had previously served as a prosecution witness in Ivanov’s case. Tsalikov’s former duties in military property management and construction were subsequently transferred to Ivanov. Sources noted that Ivanov has not provided testimony against Tsalikov.

Late on the evening of March 5, investigative authorities petitioned the Basmanny District Court for a pre-trial detention order against Tsalikov.

Due to the former deputy minister’s influential connections and financial resources, he is expected to remain in custody pending trial. It is anticipated that the defense’s arguments, predicated on state decorations, will be rejected by the court.