A senior military official responsible for tank maintenance in central Russia was arrested on charges of accepting a bribe in exchange for preferential treatment in receiving government contracts, law enforcement authorities said Wednesday.
Major General Denis Putilov, who leads the armored vehicle service of the Defense Ministry’s Central Military District, is accused of receiving 10 million rubles ($108,900) from a businessman for reducing oversight and providing advantages in contracts related to the repair and maintenance of combat vehicles.
The contracts in question, managed by Putilov, were valued at over 140 million rubles ($1.5 million) in 2023. He was charged with large-scale fraud, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Russia’s Central Military District is based in Yekaterinburg and encompasses 29 regions.
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