Russian Court Convicts Ex-Deputy Defense Minister to 13 Years in Major Corruption Case

The Moscow City Court has sentenced former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov to 13 years in a general regime penal colony for two counts of large-scale embezzlement and money laundering. The verdict was delivered in an alternative venue-the former almshouse of the Evangelical Charitable Society-due to renovations at the Moscow City Court.

Ivanov was also stripped of his honorary title of "Honored Builder of the Russian Federation" and fined 100 million rubles.

Ivanov's former subordinate, ex-head of Oboronlogistika (Defense Logistics) Anton Filatov, received 12.5 years in prison. The court upheld civil claims from the Russian Defense Ministry's Main Directorate for Troop Arrangements (GUOV) and the Deposit Insurance Agency, awarding 216 million rubles and 3.9 billion rubles, respectively.

The court found that Ivanov and Filatov embezzled 216.6 million rubles during the purchase of ferries for the Kerch Strait and laundered 3.9 billion rubles previously belonging to the now-bankrupt Intercommerz Bank. Ivanov's property, valued over 2.5 billion rubles, including land on Rublyovka, a fleet of luxury cars, and bank accounts, was ordered to be confiscated.

The majority of the trial was held behind closed doors due to the presence of classified material. Prosecutors initially requested 14.5 years for Ivanov and 14 years for Filatov. Ivanov's defense plans to appeal, citing procedural violations and a lack of direct evidence. However, legal experts suggest such appeals rarely succeed in similar high-profile cases.

The Charges

In 2015, the Ministry of Defense arranged for the purchase of two ferries from Greece-Maria-Eleni and Finix-Salaminos – via affiliated firms under the oversight of Filatov. Western sanctions made direct purchases difficult, leading to a complex scheme involving Intercommerz Bank and several foreign intermediaries. The ships were ultimately bought through Hong Kong's Tourinvest Services Ltd. and later sold to Oboronlogistika at the same euro-denominated price – despite the ruble's devaluation – resulting in a large profit allegedly laundered through fake consulting and currency exchange transactions.

The second charge involved embezzlement from Intercommerz Bank shortly before its license was revoked. The scheme reportedly involved a criminal group that executed fictitious currency trades and funneled money abroad under the guise of equipment purchases. Former bank chairman Anton Bugaevsky and other accomplices were implicated, and Ivanov and Filatov are accused of using the stolen funds for personal enrichment.

Both defendants denied all charges. Ivanov argued that the ferry purchase was a legitimate state-sanctioned transaction and had even earned him a government award. Filatov claimed the prosecution was built on flawed investigative assumptions.

Additional Charges

Ivanov is also facing two separate bribery charges. He allegedly accepted bribes from Alexander Fomin, head of Olimpsitistroy, in exchange for contract favors. One of the alleged bribes amounted to 1.185 billion rubles, the value of construction work carried out on Ivanov's personal properties. In May 2025, an additional 152 million ruble bribery episode was added to the case. Fomin is a co-defendant in both cases, and if convicted, both men could face up to 15 years in prison on these charges.