Former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov has been arrested on fraud charges related to a sprawling military theme park outside Moscow, federal investigators said Thursday.
Popov is accused of misusing Patriot Park’s resources for personal gain. He allegedly forced the park’s contract workers to carry out unpaid construction work on his private property in the Moscow region between 2021 and 2024. He is also accused of diverting construction materials intended for the park to his private home.
Patriot Park in the town of Kubinka, about 63 kilometers west of Moscow, is a military-themed park and exhibition center with interactive displays of weapons, equipment and shooting ranges. It also features a grandiose Orthodox cathedral dedicated to the Russian Armed Forces.
According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, which investigates serious crimes, Popov continued to use Patriot Park’s resources to maintain his personal property even after construction was completed.
Investigators accused Popov of collaborating with Patriot Park director Vyacheslav Akhmedov and senior Defense Ministry official Vladimir Shesterov. Both Akhmedov and Shesterov were arrested earlier this month on similar charges.
Authorities said they had discovered property worth 500 million rubles ($5.4 million) linked to Popov and his family in the Moscow region and southern Russia’s Krasnodar region.
Popov, a retired general, served as deputy defense minister from November 2013 to June 2024. He is the third deputy defense minister and one of several senior military officials arrested this year on corruption charges. The arrest is seen as part of a broader campaign against corruption within the Russian military.
The arrests began in April with the detention of former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, who was considered an ally of former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. In May, Shoigu was replaced and is now head of the Russian Security Council.
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