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Lt-Gen Yuri Kuznetsov, 55, was arrested by heavily armed cops in balaclavas who smashed their way into his home using crowbars.
The top MoD official was reportedly “dragged out of bed and taken away for interrogation”.
The arrest of the military chief comes a day after Vladimir Putin oversaw major changes in Russia's defence, including the sacking of his long-term Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
In the meantime, another three defence ministers resigned suddenly - Sergei Tsalikov, 67, first deputy for military-technical support Alexey Kryvoruchko, 48, and deputy defence minister Tatiana Shevtsova, 54.
A close ally of Shoigu, Kuznetsov is in charge of the ministry’s main personnel department but his detention is seen as linked to his previous role guarding military state secrets.
"Counterintelligence officers came for the general fully armed and acted deliberately harshly.
"At about 5am on May 13, the security forces in balaclavas and with crowbars ‘took out’ the gates and windows in [his] mansion in Istra district."
"The investigation of the case is being conducted by the main military investigative body of Russia's Investigative Committee.
“His wife is still in the Investigative Committee.”
She previously worked in the Committee on Military-Technical Cooperation with Foreign States, the Academy of the Strategic Missile Forces and other military structures.
Kuznetsov is a “suspect in a criminal case”, reported military investigators.
The Rybar military channel said: "Purges have begun in the Ministry of Defence, including in relation to people who were somehow soiled in unpleasant episodes."
His work heading the state secret protection service was behind his detention, said the channel.
His deputy defence minister Timur Ivanov was arrested last month on corruption charges amid suspicion he will face treason accusations.
Meanwhile, three more defence ministers have quit after Putin ally Shoigu was dismissed earlier this week.
There is speculation of a coming criminal case against Kryvoruchko, former head of the Kalashnikov gun-making enterprise, over low-quality body armour.
While Tatiana Shevtsova who was in charge of financial flows in the defence ministry, also quit today after Putin's new defence minister Andrey Belousov, 65 - took over.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/27824011/russian-general-yuri-kuznetsov-dragged-bed-detained-putins-purge/
The media seem to be taking pains to link Shoigu to these people as if he is involved in the crimes.
However, Putin signed a decree on Sunday appointing Shoigu as secretary of Russia's Security Council, the Kremlin said.
It looks to me like Putin and Shoigu have been cleaning house.