Military chief in charge of tank repair arrested in Russia

Russian authorities arrested Denis Putilov, the Head of the armoured vehicles service of the Central Military District, on 18 September on suspicion of taking a large bribe.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: On 18 September, the Russian Investigative Committee announced the launch of a criminal case against Putilov, accusing him of accepting a bribe of 10 million roubles (around US$107,000) in return for granting contracts related to the servicing and upkeep of military vehicles to an individual entrepreneur named Chudinov.

The Central Military District is home to the 90th Tank Division, and Putilov was likely closely involved in supervising the maintenance and repair of the tanks and other armoured vehicles that the division deploys in its combat operations in Ukraine.

Since Andrei Belousov took office as Minister of Defence in May 2024, there has been a marked increase in corruption investigations targeting high-ranking officials within the Russian Ministry of Defence. This development reflects Belousov’s apparent determination to combat the corruption and inefficiencies that plagued the Ministry under the leadership of his predecessor, Sergei Shoigu.

Quote: "Putilov's links to Shoigu remain unclear as of the time of this publication, but his arrest suggests that Belousov is attempting to crack down on corrupt and ineffective officials who are responsible for the sustainment of Russia's military assets, particularly increasingly scarce armoured vehicles."

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