General Dmitry Bulgakov. Photo: vss.cska.ru
Russian law enforcement arrested a former high-ranking defence official in Moscow on corruption charges, state media reported on Friday.
General Dmitry Bulgakov, a former deputy defence minister, was detained by the Russian Federal Security Service as part of a criminal corruption case and is currently being held in pretrial detention.
A source told Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti that Bulgakov was accused of receiving bribes from the Gryazinsky food factory in exchange for helping them secure contracts. The food factory is in turn accused of supplying low-quality food to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
“Beef was replaced with pork and chicken, and the calorie count of the rations was underestimated,” the source said.
The Investigative Committee confirmed the arrest and said that the investigation into Bulgakov’s activities was still ongoing.
Bulgakov, 69, served as deputy defence minister from 2008 until 2022, overseeing logistical support for the Russian army. In 2016, he was awarded the title Hero of Russia. However, seven months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he was removed from his role following supply failures within the Russian military.
The arrest is part of an ongoing purge of Russia’s military leadership, which began with the arrest of Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov for bribery in April. Since then, several high-ranking officials have been arrested on the same charges, including Lieutenant General Yury Kuznetsov, Major General Ivan Popov, and Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin.
