March 5, 2026
Russia’s ex-Deputy Defense Minister Ruslan Tsalikov arrested on corruption charges, yet another Shoigu associate detained since MoD shakeup
Russia’s former First Deputy Defense Minister Ruslan Tsalikov has been detained as part of an investigation into a criminal case concerning his alleged participation in the formation of a “criminal community,” state-controlled news agency TASS reported earlier today, citing Russian Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko
TL;DR
- Ruslan Tsalikov, former First Deputy Defense Minister, has been detained on criminal charges.
- Charges include forming a criminal organization, embezzlement, and bribery, allegedly occurring from 2017 to 2024.
- Tsalikov is the fourth former deputy defense minister to be prosecuted since Sergei Shoigu's dismissal in May 2024.
- He previously testified as a witness in the case of ex-Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov.
- Tsalikov oversaw construction, property relations, housing, and financial oversight at the ministry.
- Several other deputy defense ministers, including Timur Ivanov, Dmitry Bulgakov, and Pavel Popov, have also been arrested.
- Tsalikov later became an MP in the Republic of Tuva and was a subject of investigations by Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation regarding his property holdings.
- He has been sanctioned by the U.S., EU, UK, and other countries since the invasion of Ukraine.
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