The universal corruption of the Russian elite suits Vladimir Putin. When everyone has a skeleton in their closet, power rests with whoever decides which closets get searched. The arrest on corruption charges of Timur Ivanov, deputy minister of defence, is noteworthy not because he was infamously corrupt, but because it raises the question: why him, why now?
This could be the start of a ‘ditch Shoigu’ campaign by his enemies
Ivanov was well known for his lavish lifestyle and his reputation as the ‘king of the kickback.’
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