April 10, 2026
Russia sentences former deputy defense minister to 19 years in prison and strips him of his general rank
A Moscow military court has sentenced former Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov to 19 years in a maximum-security prison for embezzling 25.8 million rubles from the Patriot military park. The 235th garrison military court handed down the verdict on April 10.
TL;DR
- Former Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov sentenced to 19 years in prison for embezzling 25.8 million rubles.
- Popov was stripped of his army general rank and eight state decorations.
- The court ordered fines and confiscation of funds totaling over 130 million rubles.
- Popov was not present in court during sentencing due to health reasons.
- Prosecutors had sought a 22-year sentence and larger fines.
- Popov maintained his innocence, citing his service record and international sanctions.
- His defense attorney will appeal, arguing the verdict is unlawful.
- Popov was dismissed in June 2024 and charged with embezzlement.
- He faced multiple charges including fraud, falsification, bribery, and abuse of office.
- Investigators claim Popov used embezzled funds to build a country house.
- Two other individuals, Vladimir Shesterov and Vyacheslav Akhmedov, admitted guilt and testified against Popov, receiving shorter sentences.
- The article notes its translation from Russian using an AI model, reviewed by an editor.
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