Russia’s Tambov Garrison Military Court sentenced Major General Ivan Popov, who had publicly disapproved of the way Russian military forces operated in Ukraine, to five years in prison on Thursday and stripped him of his military rank. The military officer was convicted of grand larceny and service forgery.
According to information from Russia’s Investigative Committee (Sledkom), Popov was convicted under Russia’s Criminal Code for fraud committed by an organized group or on a particularly large scale (article 159, p. 4), and service forgery (article 292 p. 2). The investigation claims that from January to June 2023, Popov and former deputy commander of the Southern Military District Oleg Tsokov organized the theft of more than 1.7 thousand tons of rolled metal products for military purposes and falsified information about the receipt of these products in military units. Sergei Moiseev, a businessman also convicted in the case, was engaged in the sale of stolen goods, which resulted in damage to the Russian state in the amount of more than 100 million rubles.
Ivan Popov was the commander of the 58th Army engaged in a “defensive operation” in the Skorinino area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region as part of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country. Popov was dismissed in the summer of 2023, according to him, after raising questions about the Russian army and criticizing decisions taken by the Russian Defense Ministry. After that, Russian MP Andrei Gurulev published a message from Popov to the military, where the general called his subordinates “my gladiators,” compared himself to Spartacus, and called his superiors’ actions “treacherous and mean.” Although Popov’s arrest occurred almost a year later in 2024 and does not officially refer to the general’s statements, Popov himself claimed that he was punished for speaking out.
In his last words in court, Popov did not admit his guilt but did admit that he had made mistakes during his service, adding that he was certainly not breaking the law and remained faithful to the oath of allegiance to his people and supreme commander. Popov’s lawyer Sergei Buinovsky told state news agency TASS that his client will appeal the sentence, as he considers it “illegal and unfounded.”
Russian military correspondent Alexandr Sladkov reacted to the verdict by noting that the situation is difficult, stressing that people should move forward and expressing confidence that Popov will be fine.
Popov’s case is one of many cases against military men in Russia. The number of sentences handed down by Russian military personnel in garrison courts in the first half of 2024 increased, reaching a record number of 6,088, more than three times the number handed down in 2023. Almost half of the convicted persons were sentenced to de facto imprisonment, a significant increase over previous years. The increase in convictions was due to an increase in drug trafficking offences and serious crimes against individuals, including murder. Russia also enacted censorship laws, which remain the main tool for suppressing those condemning war in Ukraine or condemning in any way the actions of the Russian military there.
