Lt. Gen. Vadim Shamarin received a seven-year sentence for bribery in connection with state contracts, as part of a wider effort to reform the Russian military under President Putin.
Ex-Russian General Sentenced to Seven Years Prison for Bribery
Ex-Russian General Sentenced to Seven Years Prison for Bribery
Major corruption case highlights Kremlin's ongoing crackdown on military misconduct.
A former high-ranking Russian general has been sentenced to seven years in a maximum security penal colony for accepting bribes during his service in the military. Lt. Gen. Vadim Shamarin, who served as deputy chief of the army's general staff overseeing communications, was arrested last year amidst a larger anti-corruption initiative led by the Kremlin. The Investigative Committee of Russia revealed that Shamarin accepted bribes totaling 36 million roubles (approximately £331,000) from a telecommunications firm between 2019 and 2023. In exchange for these funds, he reportedly increased the amount of state contracts that the company received.
Following his conviction, Shamarin's punishment includes a seven-year ban from holding any public service positions, in addition to losing his military rank. The court has also ordered the confiscation of the bribe amount from him. According to Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, Shamarin's legal representative confirmed the details of the sentence.
Shamarin's prosecution is part of a broader crackdown on corruption within the Russian Defence Ministry, which saw several other senior officials, including Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov and Lt. Gen. Yuri Kuznetsov, also facing legal issues. This campaign gained momentum after President Vladimir Putin relieved long-time Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu of his duties, appointing Andrei Belousov—an economist with limited military expertise—in his place. Analysts believe that this anti-corruption effort likely aims to improve operational efficiency in the Russian military amid ongoing conflicts.
