High-Ranking Russian Defense Official Sentenced for Embezzlement in Military Theme Park Scandal

A military tribunal on Wednesday sentenced Vladimir Shesterov, a former high-ranking official at the Defense Ministry, to six years in prison for extensive fraud connected to state contracts for Russia’s extensive military-themed park.

Shesterov, who previously held the position of deputy head of the Defense Ministry’s Main Department for Innovative Development, was detained last August on charges of embezzling over 40 million rubles (approximately $510,000) meant for construction projects at Patriot Park.

According to investigators, Shesterov, along with Vyacheslav Akhmedov, the former director of Patriot Park, and former Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov, illicitly diverted more than 25 million rubles (around $319,000) between 2022 and 2024. This action was said to have caused “significant harm” to both the ministry and the park itself.

Reports indicate that both Shesterov and Akhmedov admitted guilt and were placed under house arrest after providing testimony against Popov, a prominent figure currently facing multiple allegations, including bribery, abuse of power, fraud, and illegal possession of weapons.

The military court found Shesterov guilty of grand-scale fraud and forgery, as stated by Russia’s Investigative Committee, which oversees major criminal investigations. In addition to his six-year prison sentence, he was also fined 500,000 rubles ($6,400), prohibited from holding any public office for two years, and stripped of his rank as major general along with all state honors.

The investigation into Akhmedov is still ongoing, whereas Popov remains in pre-trial detention. Their arrests last year were part of a wider anti-corruption initiative within the Defense Ministry, which had started with the arrest of former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov in April 2024.

Earlier this month, Ivanov received a 13-year prison sentence.

Patriot Park, located in Kubinka, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Moscow, is a military-themed exhibition center that features interactive displays and exhibitions of weapons and military equipment. In addition to live-firing ranges, the park is also home to an impressive Orthodox cathedral dedicated to the nation’s armed forces.