A former Russian deputy defense minister has been arrested on corruption charges, the latest high-ranking official being purged from the military as the war in Ukraine drags on, according to reports.
Gen. Dmitry Bulgakov, 69, who had been in charge of troop logistics, was taken into custody as "part of a criminal probe into corruption" to a pre-trial detention center in Moscow, Russian state-owned media outlet Tass reported, citing the Federal Security Service.
It said an investigation is underway into Bulgakov's alleged "unlawful activity."
The Moscow Times said neither the FSB or the Investigative Committee specified the crimes Bulgakov has been accused of committing.
Bulgakov, who received the Hero of Russia title in 2016, was in charge of military logistics from 2008 until he was discharged by President Vladimir Putin in 2022.
He is the latest defense official charged with corruption, Reuters reported, as Russia's new defense minister, Andrei Belousov, has been ordered to rid the ranks of corruption and get a handle on finances amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.
Since April, at least five military and defense officials have reportedly been arrested.
Bulgakov is accused of working with a food company to create a system that replaced high-energy food items for Russian troops with lesser quality rations at inflated prices, Tass reported.
"At the same time, servicemen did not receive quality food products even in the conditions of a special military operation," Tass reported, quoting a source on the Investigative Committee, using the Russian term "special military operation" to describe the Ukraine war.
