Former Russian general Ivan Popov claims that he was sentenced to prison for criticizing military operations in Ukraine
A former Russian general, sentenced to prison for “fraud”, says he is the victim of a purification for formulating criticism of how to carry out military operations.
Ivan Popov/Photo: X.
Ivan Popov was sentenced on Thursday by a military court to five years in prison for “Large -scale fraud” and of “falsification of official documents“He withdrew from the Ukraine front in the summer of 2023, writes Agerpres.
According to the Committee of Investigation, Ivan Popov is accused that, during January-June 2023, he diverted 1,700 tons of metal materials for the Russian army, causing an estimated injury to over 100 million rubles (over one million euros at the current course).
One of his alleged accomplices, Sergei Moiseev, was sentenced to four years in prison, while the pursuit targeting another high -degree officer in this business, General Oleg Tokov, were abandoned, because he died on the front in Ukraine in July 2023.
Also in July 2023, a few days after the failed rebellion of the Wagner paramilitary group, Ivan Popov broadcast an audio message stating that he had been suspended as commander of the 58th Army.
He stated that he was dismissed because he had “firmly” alerted the high command on the difficulties with which the Russian army faces in Ukraine, especially about “massive losses“Humans and lack of advanced equipment.
“I had no right to lie“he said.”The Ukrainian forces could not pierce our army in front and we were hit by our main boss, who beheaded the army at the most difficult moment“, Said Ivan Popov, aiming at all appearances on the chief of the General Staff, Valeri Gherasimov.
According to the influential Telegram Grey Zone channel, Valeri Gherasimov had accused Ivan Popov of “misinformation” and “alarmism”, after he had informed his report.
A few months later, in May 2024, General Popov was arrested in this fraud file, causing the anger of the influence of Russian war correspondents, who considers him a valuable military man.
After replacing, in May 2024, of the Minister of Defense Sergei Şoigu with an economist, Andrei Belousov, several generals or responsible, including Ivan Popov, were arrested for corruption charges, in what was perceived as a treatment.
For his part, the Kremlin denied any treatment campaign, assuring that this is a classic anti -corruption operation, the Russian defense sector being mined for many years of scandals.
