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The news that a former Russian deputy defense minister has fled and defected to France has the potential to shake the country.
Moscow – This news could cause a great uproar in Russia: The Russian television channel Tsargrad TV reports that the former deputy defense minister Tatjana Shevtsova has fled to France. She is also said to have defected, the station says. In Germany, the ZDF and the news page t-online.
If this news were true, it could cause considerable political controversy. But so far only a few Russian-language media have reported on the suspicion, and there have been no comments from official sources. Shevtsova was responsible for financial matters in the Ministry of Defense, so she is likely to have knowledge of sensitive figures, such as how many weapons and military equipment were purchased in recent years. Ukraine War it could be important information for Kiev and its supporters.
Did Tatjana Shvetsova defect to France? Russian media report raises suspicions
Tsargrad TV refers in his report to the portal Yuridicheskaya Gazetawhich first expressed the suspicion. On June 26, it was reported that Shevtsova had packed her bags and flown to France. This was “information that has not been officially confirmed on the Internet.” The former deputy defense minister had been dismissed just a few days earlier and has not appeared in public since then.
On 17 June, President Wladimir Putin Shevtsova and three other deputy ministers of the Ministry of Defense were dismissed by decree. The Russian Ministry of Defense has been undergoing a complete restructuring for months. At the end of April, his counterpart Timur Ivanov was arrested and is now in prison for corruption. In mid-May, Putin deposed his long-time defense minister and close ally Sergei Shoigu and installed Andrei Belousov.
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The report by Tsargrad TV suggested that Shevtsova handled large sums of money in the Ministry of Defense, siphoning off a lot of money and putting it in her own pocket. She at least owned expensive real estate, the report said. She also testified in the current investigations against the arrested military officers and politicians.
Corruption has been widespread in the ministry for years, and there have been repeated scandals. The new minister, Belousov, now seems to want to put a stop to this. Dozens of other high-ranking military officers are said to be in the sights of the domestic secret service. Belousov is said to have been furious when he found out that Shevtsova had left the country. If she actually managed to escape, this could weaken Belousov’s position as well.
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Why Zargrad TV – It is unclear whether the only major Russian media outlet to report on the incident is one of the five most widely read news sites in Russia. The site is not considered tabloid. However, the media outlet does not have any reliable information either. “Official sources neither confirm nor deny this,” the report says.
It is questionable whether Shevtsova has actually defected and is now passing information on to the Europeans. She has disappeared from public view for several days. But given that the Kremlin is not particularly gentle with defectors, this is rather unlikely. (fmu)
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