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 related to government contracts associated with Russia’s extensive military-themed amusement park.
Shesterov, who held the position of deputy head of the Defense Ministry’s Main Department for Innovative Development, was apprehended last August on allegations of misappropriating over 40 million rubles (approximately $510,000) intended for construction projects at Patriot Park.
According to investigators, Shesterov, in collaboration with Vyacheslav Akhmedov, the former director of Patriot Park, and ex-Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov, illegally diverted more than 25 million rubles (around $319,000) from 2022 to 2024, resulting in what authorities termed “considerable harm” to both the ministry and the park.
Reports indicate that Shesterov and Akhmedov confessed to their wrongdoing and were placed under house arrest after providing testimony against Popov, who remains a significant figure currently facing multiple investigations for charges including bribery, abuse of authority, fraud, and illegal possession of weapons.
The military court found Shesterov guilty of both large-scale fraud and forgery, as per the Russian Investigative Committee, which investigates serious crimes. Along with his six-year sentence, Shesterov was also fined 500,000 rubles ($6,400), prohibited from holding any public office for two years, and stripped of his major general rank and all state honors.
Akhmedov’s case is still pending, while Popov continues to be held in pre-trial detention. Their arrests were part of a wider anti-corruption initiative within the Defense Ministry, which started with the detention of former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov in April 2024.
Earlier this month, Ivanov received a sentence of 13 years in prison.
Patriot Park, situated in Kubinka, 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Moscow, serves as a military-themed amusement park and exhibition center, showcasing interactive displays and weaponry. In addition to various live-firing ranges, the park features an impressive Orthodox cathedral dedicated to the nation’s armed forces.
