The recent arrests and dismissals of numerous associates of former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu by Russian authorities have sparked significant unease among the nation’s elite.
Last year, President Vladimir Putin initiated a crackdown on high-ranking officials in both the government and military, resulting in a wave of arrests and terminations.
A report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace indicates that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has executed arrests within the Ministry of Defense and the armed forces.
As a result, dozens of individuals lost their positions and faced imprisonment, including three close associates of Sergei Shoigu, as highlighted in the report.
Shoigu, once a trusted ally of Putin, was relieved of his duties in May 2024 and now serves as the Secretary of the Russian Security Council.
According to the report, “The lack of clear boundaries concerning the new waves of arrests and the uncertainty that surrounds Shoigu himself are understandably causing anxiety within his entire circle. Although Shoigu has so far been spared due to personal assurances from the president, he is left observing the situation without any means to protect his close associates or halt the ongoing arrests.”
(Source: Newsweek)
