Jul 7, 03:48 PM

Former Russian Deputy Chief Khalil Arslanov Sentenced to 17 Years, $75 Million Fraud; Major General Shesterov Gets 6 Years for Patriot Park Embezzlement

Colonel General Khalil Arslanov, the former Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff who served from 2013 to 2020 and headed the military communications unit, has been sentenced to 17 years in a high-security prison for large-scale bribery and fraud. The charges relate to a $75 million procurement fraud scheme involving military equipment contracts. In addition to the prison sentence, Arslanov was fined over 24 million rubles. Separately, Major General Vladimir Shesterov, the former deputy head of the Main Directorate of Innovative Development of the Russian Ministry of Defense, was sentenced to six years in a penal colony and fined 500,000 rubles for embezzling more than 25 million rubles during construction work at the Patriot Park military exhibition. Shesterov was stripped of his major general rank. Two other officials, including former Deputy Defense Minister Popov, were also prosecuted in connection with the Patriot Park fraud case.