<div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Russian security agents detained a senior general early Tuesday, widening a purge of the country’s sprawling Defense Ministry amid President Vladimir V. Putin’s broader shake-up of his government.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Lt. Gen. Yuri Kuznetsov, who oversaw the ministry’s personnel department, was detained on an accusation of “large-scale” bribery, Russia’s Investigative Committee, a federal law enforcement agency, <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://t.me/sledcom_press/13293" title="" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said in a statement on Tuesday.</a></p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">His detention came after Mr. Putin unexpectedly <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/12/world/europe/russia-putin-cabinet-war-shoigu.html" title="">removed</a> his long-serving defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/13/world/europe/russia-defense-minister-ukraine-belousov.html?searchResultPosition=1" title="">from his post and replaced him</a> with a member of his economic team.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Prosecutors said General Kuznetsov received a bribe from “commercial interests” between 2021 and 2023, when he worked on the protection of state secrets at the Armed Forces’ General Staff. The prosecutors claimed that security agents discovered cash equivalent to $1 million and luxury items during a search of General Kuznetsov’s home.</p></div>

<div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">A career officer, General Kuznetsov worked on the General Staff for 13 years before assuming his post in the Defense Ministry in 2023.</p><div data-testid="imageblock-wrapper"><figure class="img-sz-small css-1189og3 e1g7ppur0" aria-label="media" role="group"><div class="css-zgakxe erfvjey0" data-testid="photoviewer-children-figure"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Image</span><div class="css-nwd8t8" data-testid="lazy-image"></div></div><figcaption data-testid="photoviewer-children-caption" class="css-1ybnr6m ewdxa0s0"><span class="css-jevhma e13ogyst0">A photo made available by the Russian Defense Ministry of Lt. Gen. Yuri Kuznetsov. </span><span class="css-1u46b97 e1z0qqy90"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Credit...</span><span><span aria-hidden="false">Russian Defense Ministry, via Associated Press</span></span></span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="css-1336jj"><div class="css-121kum4"><div class="css-asuuk5"><noscript><div class="css-7axq9l" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript"><svg width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-hidden="true" class="css-1b5b8u1"><path fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd" d="M2.5 12a9.5 9.5 0 1 1 19 0 9.5 9.5 0 0 1-19 0Zm8.5 1.75v-7.5h2v7.5h-2Zm0 2v2h2v-2h-2Z" clip-rule="evenodd"></path></svg><div data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript-message" class="css-6yo1no"><p class="css-3kpklk">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.</p><p class="css-3kpklk">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.</p></div></div></noscript><div class="css-1dv1kvn" tabindex="-1"><hr><p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and&nbsp;<a href="https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F05%2F14%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Frussia-detains-general-yuri-kuznetsov.html&amp;asset=opttrunc">log into</a>&nbsp;your Times account, or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F05%2F14%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Frussia-detains-general-yuri-kuznetsov.html">subscribe</a>&nbsp;for all of The Times.</p><hr></div><div class="css-1g71tqy"><div data-testid="optimistic-truncator-message" class="css-6yo1no"><p class="css-3kpklk">Thank you for your patience while we verify access.</p><p class="css-3kpklk">Already a subscriber?&nbsp;<a data-testid="log-in-link" class="css-z5ryv4" href="https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F05%2F14%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Frussia-detains-general-yuri-kuznetsov.html&amp;asset=opttrunc">Log in</a>.</p><p class="css-3kpklk">Want all of The Times?&nbsp;<a data-testid="subscribe-link" class="css-z5ryv4" href="https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F05%2F14%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Frussia-detains-general-yuri-kuznetsov.html">Subscribe</a>.</p></div></div></div></div></div></div>

Lt. Gen. Yuri Kuznetsov became the second senior defense official to be detained on an accusation of corruption in the past month.{ai:summary}<p>A senior general is detained for large-scale bribery in Putin's government shake-up at the Defense Ministry. Cash and luxury items seized in investigation. #crime</p>