Criticism of warfare

Allegations of fraud: Russian ex-general arrested

According to media reports, former General Ivan Popov (the archive photo dates back to 2002) has been arrested on fraud charges.(Bild: Wikipedia/mil.ru (CC BY 4.0))

According to media reports, Russian General Ivan Popov, who was fired for his criticism of Moscow's conduct of the war in Ukraine, has been arrested on fraud charges. The 49-year-old major general is being investigated for fraud on a particularly large scale, according to reports.

Popov has been remanded in custody for two months, the 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 misappropriating and selling aid supplies for his army worth 100 million roubles (the equivalent of around one million euros).

Defense pleads for acquittal
Popov's lawyer rejected the accusations. The officer's assets were not even close to the sums mentioned in the blogs, said the lawyer. The defense pleaded for an acquittal.

Popov served as commander of the Russian 58th Army until the summer of 2023 and thus also in Russia's 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 Zaporizhzhya region last summer when Ukraine launched its counter-offensive there.

Following heavy losses, Popov criticized Moscow's conduct of the war and demanded, among other things, a rotation of combat units to compensate for losses. He did not question the legality of the Russian invasion itself. Nevertheless, he was dismissed for his criticism.

Accusedthe army leadership of betrayal
Chief of the General Staff Vladimir Gerasimov is said to have described the commander, who was highly regarded by his subordinates, as an "alarmist". After his dismissal, Popov said goodbye to his soldiers with a voice message in which he accused the army leadership of incompetence and betrayal. The recording was later made public.