Vladimir Putin and his Generals: Suddenly the ruler takes action.
Photo: A.P
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The question, of course, is: why now? Why are Russian officials suddenly so aggressively investigating high-ranking Defense Ministry officials; Why is another officer, even a general, arrested every few days, always on charges of corruption?
On Wednesday, Lt. Gen. Vadim Shamarin was arrested for “large-scale corruption.” He was deputy head of the Russian General Staff, responsible for the communications department. A military court in the Russian capital initially ordered the lieutenant general into pretrial detention two months ago because he allegedly accepted bribes while concluding contracts, state news agency Tass reported. No details of the criminal proceedings were disclosed.
In any case, he has now been sentenced to 15 years in prison. And he is not alone, as three other high-ranking military officers are also under investigation. Villas abroad, wives’ luxury cars, apartments in the most expensive places in Moscow are suddenly being reported with gusto by the Russian media.
Why now? That Russia’s military leadership is obnoxious, incompetent and a burden to troops fighting in Ukraine was not a common complaint of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who later died in an unexplained plane crash. You can also hear criticism from nationalist Russian military bloggers.
This does not bode well for Russia’s ruler, Vladimir Putin. With Russia doing well militarily in Ukraine, it may seem like a good time to not only reshuffle the top ranks of the Defense Ministry, but also to get rid of some of the worst offenders. This “purification,” as some media outlets call it, is a simulation of the rule of law. Like propaganda.
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– Why is Putin jailing his generals?
Officials in the Kremlin have been arrested en masse, almost always on corruption charges. Because he suddenly respects the law? Are you serious?
Sonja Zechry