Russian Investigative Committee’s Main Investigative Directorate has initiated criminal proceedings against former Deputy Defense Minister Army General Dmitry Bulgakov, who has been placed in custody by a court order, as per Investigative Committee Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko. TASS summarized the known details of this case.
Former Deputy Defense Minister Army General Dmitry Bulgakov was detained on charges of corruption, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB. He is suspected of committing a crime under part 4, article 160 of the Russian Criminal Code (felony embezzlement. The criminal case is being investigated by the Investigative Committee’s Main Investigative Directorate.
Bulgakov has been placed in Detention Facility No 2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service, also known as Lefortovo. If found guilty, Bulgakov may face a prison sentence of up to ten years.
Three more people are named as defendants in the case: Alexander Mikhalenko, Valery Kovalevich, and Elvira Smirnova. According to the National Register of Legal Entities, they are members of the board of directors of Gryzinsky Food Factory. These three were also detained by law enforcement.
Law enforcement officials allege that a system was set up under Bulgakov, in which inferior-quality ration packs were supplied to the army at inflated prices. In this scheme, beef was replaced with pork and poultry, resulting in reduced caloric value for soldiers. Even those stationed in the zone of the special military operation did not receive high-quality food products.
Investigators conducted searches of the former deputy defense minister’s place of residence as part of their investigation. Dmitry Bulgakov is 69 years old and served as Russia’s deputy defense minister from 2008 until September 24, 2022. In this capacity, he was responsible for addressing army logistics issues. In 2016, he was awarded the title of Hero of Russia.