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A former Russian army commander who raised concerns about the country’s high military casualties in Ukraine has been detained on suspicion of large-scale fraud.<\/p>\n
Maj Gen Ivan Popov, 49, will be held in custody for two months, Russian state-run media reported.<\/p>\n
His attorney was quoted by Tass news agency as saying that the general denied all the allegations.<\/p>\n
Gen Popov was sacked as commander of the 58th army last year after publicly alleging mass deaths and injuries among Russian soldiers and lack of artillery support.<\/p>\n
The Russian defence ministry has not commented on the issue.<\/p>\n
Russian President Vladimir Putin<\/a><\/span><\/span> launched a full-scale invasion against Ukraine in February 2022.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Russia’s Tass and Ria Novosti news agencies cited sources as saying that Gen Popov was suspected of large-scale fraud, and his case would be handled by the 235th garrison military court.<\/p>\n They added that his detention was a “preventative measure” following a decision by the Moscow-based court on 17 May.<\/p>\n The agencies gave no further details.<\/p>\n Gen Popov was sacked in July 2023 after complaining publicly about Russian military problems in Ukraine.<\/p>\n In a widely-shared voice message, he said: “It was necessary either to keep quiet and be a coward or to say it the way it is.”<\/p>\n “I had no right to lie in the name of you, in the name of my fallen comrades in arms, so I outlined all the problems which exist.”<\/p>\n Among the issues Gen Popov said he had highlighted to his superiors were the lack of proper counter battery systems to help repel Ukrainian artillery attacks, as well as a lack of military intelligence.<\/p>\n