Tambov: A Tambov court has sentenced former commander of the 58th army of the Russian armed forces, Major General Ivan Popov, to five years in prison in an embezzlement case, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Popov was found guilty of forgery in office and large-scale fraud committed by a group of people by prior conspiracy. As part of the sentence, Popov was stripped of his military rank of Major General and fined 800,000 rubles ($9,600). Despite the verdict, Popov refused to admit his guilt, and his lawyer has announced plans to appeal the court's decision.

The investigation revealed that Popov was involved in the theft of over 1.7 thousand tonnes of rolled metal products, valued at more than 100 million rubles, which were purchased by the military and civil administration of the Zaporozhye Region as humanitarian aid in 2023. These materials were intended for engineering defensive structures along the line of contact with Ukraine. Popov reportedly received over a million rubles from the scheme.

Entrepreneur Sergei Moiseyev and Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov were also implicated in the case, which was reviewed by the garrison military court in a closed session since late September. Moiseev, who admitted to selling the stolen rolled metal products, received a sentence of four years in a general regime colony and a fine of 400,000 rubles. The criminal prosecution of Tsokov was terminated due to his death, as stated by the Investigative Committee.