Moscow Court Rejects Jailed Former Deputy Defense Minister’s Bid to Fight in Ukraine

July 15, 2026 Timur Ivanov. Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency An appellate court judge in Moscow on Wednesday rejected a bid by former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov to be sent to fight in eastern Ukraine after he was jailed last year for corruption. Ivanov, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison on embezzlement and money laundering charges, had sought to sign a military contract — a common path for Russian convicts to secure an early release in exchange for combat duty. After a lower district court blocked his initial request, Ivanov appealed the decision last month. The Moscow City Court upheld the lower court’s ruling, agreeing with the Defense Ministry and the military enlistment office’s decision to deny the deployment. Ivanov did not attend the hearing, according to the news outlet Ostorozhno Novosti. The newspaper Kommersant reported that Ivanov made two separate requests to get to the front: first asking to serve with his rank of major, and later stating he was willing to deploy in any rank or role. Ivanov had managed the Defense Ministry’s lucrative construction projects from 2016 until his arrest in April 2024. His high-profile arrest and trial marked the start of a sweeping corruption purge within the military command that saw several other senior officers sent to prison. Ivanov was widely seen as a close ally of former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who was ousted in May 2024 and appointed secretary of Russia’s Security Council. Read more about: Court cases , Defense Ministry Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Ex-Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov Jailed 19 Years on Corruption Charges Popov’s arrest in August 2024 came amid a wider shake-up in the military that saw the dismissal of Sergei Shoigu as Defense Minister and criminal investigations... 2 Min read Former Military General Jailed 9 Years for Bribery Prosecutors accused Alexander Oglobin of taking bribes worth nearly $150,000 in exchange for steering state contracts. 1 Min read Senior Defense Official Jailed 6 Years Over Russian Military Theme Park Fraud Vladimir Shesterov had served as deputy head of the Defense Ministry’s Main Department for Innovative Development before his arrest last August. 2 Min read Head of Russian Army Theme Park Placed Under House Arrest Vyacheslav Akhmedov was moved from pre-trial detention to house arrest until Dec. 21, state media reported. 2 Min read