Russia detains another military official on corruption charges

Russia on Wednesday detained another military official on corruption charges, said an official statement issued by the military investigative authorities.

Vitaly Melimuk, deputy director general of Patriot Park, which hosts military exhibitions, has been detained for accepting a bribe of 18 million rubles (approximately $241,320), according to a statement from the Russian Federation's Investigative Committee.

The military investigative authorities are pursuing a criminal case against Melimuk for "operations and logistical support" of the Federal State Autonomous Institution "Central Park Patriot" of the Russian Ministry of Defense, it said.

"Melimuk is accused of accepting a bribe on an especially large scale (Part 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation)," it added.

Dozens of Russian military officials have been arrested and sentenced for corruption in a campaign that began in April 2024 with the arrest of Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov and intensified after Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed economist Andrey Belousov to replace Sergey Shoygu as defense minister.

The wave of arrests has been extensive, marking one of the most significant corruption crackdowns in modern Russian military history.