Russian general Ivan Popov, arrested for alleged embezzlement
The fall from grace of the popular General Ivan Popov, arrested for alleged embezzlement of funds intended for the construction of fortifications in Ukraine, has divided Russian elites over the fate of the soldier nicknamed “Spartacus“by his soldiers.
“The higher-ups apparently felt that I was a danger and quickly, in a single day, they hurriedly drafted an order (…) and got rid of me,” Popov said in an audio that cost him the position of the commander of the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces. The fateful recording was released in mid-2023, but the consequences for the general may not be limited to his defenestration.
His preventive arrest in May has sparked an unprecedented struggle between defenders of the decorated military and the supporters of his prosecution, carried out by the elites and viewed by the Russians with a good dose of stupefaction.
Famous against his will
Popov, 49, became famous last summer when the recording intended for his subordinates in which he reported that he had been relieved was leaked on the Internet. To tell the truth about the situation on the Ukrainian front. “I’m telling you honestly, I’ve had a problem with bosses: you had to be a coward, keep quiet and say what they wanted to hear or call things by their name,” Popov acknowledged in the fateful voice message.
The general indicated that he drew the attention of the high command to the ‘main tragedy’ of the war, which he defined with the following words: “It is the absence of counterbattery fire, of the lack of artillery exploration and mass death of our brothers at the hands of enemy artillery.” After the leak of the audio, Popov, according to several sources, was sent to Syria, far from the media spotlight and where Russia has a contingent deployed.
In an unprecedented step, the vice president of the Russian Senate, Andréi Turchak, He came to the defense of the disgraced soldier. “Iván has a clear conscience. The Homeland can be proud of commanders like him,” he stated.
From Syria to prison
Problems for Popov began after his return to Russia at the beginning of this year, although the arrest ordered by Justice occurred only last month. According to the general’s family, the senior officers of the General Staff did not forgive him for the unusual act of rebellion and took retaliatory measures. “They have made his bed (…) My son told the truth, even though he doesn’t like it,” Popov’s father commented in a statement broadcast by the popular Telegram channel Baza. The arrest of the general, very popular among his’gladiators‘, did not go unnoticed and provoked a barrage of criticism both in the media and among military bloggers.
The commotion led Russian investigators to ask the court to change Popov’s precautionary measure from preventive detention to house arrest, a request that was denied twice to the surprise of many jurists who confessed in statements to the press that until now they had not been encountered that situation. Also the Russian Ombudsman, Tatiana Moskalkova, was “surprised“by the decision of the judges.
Purge of generals
According to experts such as Abbas Gallyámov, former speechwriter for the Kremlin, Popov’s arrest is part of a ‘clean-up’ campaign in the Armed Forces, which coincided with the dismissal of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Shortly before the minister’s dismissal and after the news became public, law enforcement Several senior officials were arrestedincluding a deputy minister, for accepting large bribes.
Under these circumstances, Popov’s arrest could become another case of corruption if his defenders fail to prove his innocence. If ‘Spartacus’ is found guilty, he could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
