A Russian military court will rule Wednesday on whether to give the Defense Ministrys request to release a basic detained on scams claims and send him to the frontline in Ukraine, state-run mediareported, pointing out the generals lawyer.Major General Ivan Popov, who commanded Russias 58th Combined Arms Army in Ukraine, wasarrested in May 2024 on allegations of misappropriating $1.5 million worth of metal planned for enhancing defensive structures in occupied Ukraine.
Popov was at first approved house arrest, but was returned to pre-trial detention over undefined violations.Together with the Defense Ministry, we have actually filed a motion to suspend proceedings and change the form of restraint due to the decision to send out Ivan Ivanovich [Popov] to the special military operation [in Ukraine], attorney Sergei Buinovsky told the state-run news agency TASS.The Tambov Garrison Military Court, south of Moscow, took a 30-minute break ahead of the prosecutions sentencing request, TASS reported.President Vladimir Putinsigned laws in October permitting courts to suspend or end criminal cases and send out offenders who sign military contracts to eliminate in Ukraine.
A soldiers criminal record can be expunged if they are presented with state awards for their conduct on the battlefield.Last month, Russian media reported that Popov had actually asked Putin to allow him to continue smashing the opponent in Ukraine in a letter that the Kremlin stated it received.Buinovsky stated his customer thanked Putin for his support and rely on court.Unverified reporting by the Telegram news channel Mash, which declares to have sources in Russias security services, said Popov might command an attack system if he is released.Popov stirred controversy a year before his arrest, implicating former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu of personally alleviating him of his commanding role after he complained freely about systemic mismanagement within the military.
Shoigu has since been changed by Putins relied on advisor and financial expert Andrei Belousov.