Russian lieutenant general arrested in Putin’s Defense Ministry purge – POLITICO

It began in April when Timur Ivanov, a senior defense official in Russia, was arrested in connection with a corruption investigation. Prosecutors alleged he misused military funds to finance an extravagant lifestyle.

In a shock move, Russian President Vladimir Putin fired his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who had held the post for 12 years, as part of a cabinet reshuffle. In his place, Putin appointed Andrei Belousov, an economist who never served in the Russian military.

Shoigu, meanwhile, will become secretary of the Russian Security Council, replacing Nikolai Patrushev, who was previously widely seen as one of Putin’s closest and most combative confidants.