Russian General Ivan Popov, who was fired for criticizing Moscow’s handling of the war in Ukraine, has been arrested on fraud charges, according to media reports. The 49-year-old major general is said to be under investigation for fraud on a particularly large scale.
Popov was taken into custody for two months, state news agency TASS reported on Tuesday, citing a military court in Moscow. According to the pro-Russian military blog Dwa Majora, Popov is accused of stealing relief supplies for his army worth 100 million rubles. the equivalent of approximately one million euros) for having misused and sold it.
The defense argues for acquittal
Popov’s lawyer denied the allegations. The agent’s assets do not even come close to the amounts mentioned in the blogs, the lawyer said. The defense argues for acquittal.
Popov was commander of the Russian 58th Army until the summer of 2023, including in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The 58th Army played a key role in the occupation of the port city of Mariupol – and was in the Zaporizhia region last summer when Ukraine launched its counter-offensive there.
After major losses, Popov criticized Moscow’s war behavior and, among other things, called for a rotation of combat units to compensate for the losses. He did not question the legitimacy of the Russian invasion itself. Yet he was fired for his criticism.
Accused the army leadership of treason
Chief of the General Staff Vladimir Gerasimov is said to have described the commander, who was appreciated by his subordinates, as a “panicker”. After his discharge, Popov bade farewell to his soldiers with a spoken message in which he accused the army leadership of incompetence and betrayal. The recording was later made public.
Source: Krone
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