The Main Military Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case for fraud on an especially large scale (Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) against Reserve Army General Pavel Popov, who left the post of Deputy Head of the Ministry of Defense on June 17, 2024. The investigation again concerns one of Shoigu’s main brainchildren – the Patriot Park. Popov, according to investigators, being responsible for the development, maintenance and operation of the park in 2021 – 2024, “enriched himself at the expense of this institution, acting together with the director of the park, Vyacheslav Akhmedov, and the deputy head of the Main Directorate for Innovative Development of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Shesterov, who were previously involved in criminal liability.” 
“It was established that Popov organized construction and repair work, as well as the supply of various material assets to his suburban area in the Krasnogorsk district of the Moscow region at the expense of the Patriot park. In addition, through his subordinates, he forced the heads of commercial organizations that had contractual relations with the Patriot Park to carry out construction and installation work in their country apartments without paying for them. After building the house and improving the site, Popov continued to provide technical and economic maintenance of his site of about 3 hectares at the expense of the park,” said Svetlana Petrenko, official representative of the ICR.
In addition to the indicated plot of houses, the ex-Deputy Minister of Defense and members of his family own numerous real estate properties in prestigious areas of Moscow, the Moscow region and the Krasnodar Territory. The total cost of these objects exceeds 500 million rubles. The legality of the acquisition of the specified property is also verified within the framework of a criminal case. Popov served as deputy head of the military department from 2013 to 2024.
“ВЧК ОГПУ”
