Putin’s remaining allies fear they could be next in the military ‘purge’ (Image: Getty)
elites are reportedly feeling unnerved following a huge military purge as the backlash against war in rages on.
Over the past year severa,l high-profile associates of former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu have either been arrested or fired, sparking deep anxieties among members of the Russian elite connected to the current head of Moscow’s Security Council, according to a new report.
as defence minister, a position he had held since 2012. Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, said Shamarin’s arrest was the continuation of a sweeping shake-up among the army’s top generals.
Now remaining allies fear they could find themselves next on the chopping block and fall victim to the “purge”.
Last year Putin removed his long standing ally Shoigu as defence minister (Image: Getty)
Throughout 2024, “several dozen people” were stripped of their positions and detained by Russian authorities, including three people who were part of Shoigu’s “inner circle,” according to a report, published by the Russian specialists at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank.
The report said the past year had seen a “monthslong purge” across ‘s Defense Ministry and the industry propping up the country’s vast military.
’ elite fear “the lack of clear boundaries for the new waves of arrests” are “clearly making his entire clan nervous” with “purges” seemingly expanded to since to include more of ‘s state authorities, the report said.
Captain John Foreman, former British defense attache to Moscow, told in May 2024: “Shoigu kept the FSB largely away from the ministry throughout his tenure; there were very few arrests. Once the FSB has their teeth in you, who knows how far they will go.”
Putin’s ‘new waves of arrests’ are making Russia’s elite nervous (Image: Getty)
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In April 2024, Putin sent ’s elite a stark warning after Timur Ivanov was remanded in custody at a court in Moscow on Tuesday after being accused of taking bribes “on a particularly large scale” – signalling a major effort to stamp out corruption.
People at the top of the country’s society are also growing “increasingly concerned” about the long-term impact of Western sanctions, as Western sanctions take their toll.
Sources in the Russian presidential administration, State Duma, and wider federal government and regional governments told the Russian opposition media outlet that elites are increasingly “disappointed” and “tired” of waiting for the war to end.