- Overpriced orders: Calikov is accused of organizing a criminal group that embezzled 6 billion rubles (roughly 68 million euros) in supplies for the army. These were mainly hygiene sets for soldiers. Prices should have been artificially increased by 30 to 40 percent.
- Property in the hands of the family: Prosecutors say that while the official income of Calikov and his wife was about 167 million rubles (about 1.9 million euros) between 2012 and 2025, his children and sons-in-law have billions of rubles in assets and cash.
- “Sandora” company: A key asset is the sewing company Sandora, which has been receiving billion-dollar contracts from the ministry. Although Calikov denies being the owner, the company’s co-owner, who agreed to cooperate with investigators, testifies against him.
Luxury in the “village of billionaires” and a connection to the spokeswoman
Among the assets the state wants to seize is a luxury 1,800 m² mansion with two garages and a policeman’s house in an elite location Razdory-2 near Moscow. This is one of the most expensive addresses in Russia, located in the Rublyovka area near Moscow.
In addition to the plane, the state also wants to seize a fleet of vehicles, including Toyota Land Cruisers and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and commercial real estate in Moscow business centers.
It is interesting that the defendants also include Vlada Markovskáthe mother of Rossijana Markovska – former personal spokesperson of Sergei Shoigu. Calikov was supposed to transfer to her a luxury apartment and parking spaces worth more than 73 million rubles (roughly 800 thousand euros).
Calikov denies the guilt. His defense argues that part of the property (e.g. land) was bought back in the 1990s, i.e. long before he worked in the ministry. In addition, since 2020, the incomes of high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Defense have increased significantly thanks to “special bonuses”, which are subject to the secrecy regime and were not taken into account by the prosecution in the indictment.
The Fall of the Shoigu Clan
Ruslan Calikov was not just an ordinary official. He was considered the closest ally of Sergei Shoigu. After Shoigu was dismissed in 2024 and transferred to the Security Council of the Russian Federation, a series of arrests of his close associates began. This process is seen as an effort by the Kremlin and the new leadership of the Ministry of Defense (led by technocrat Andrey Belousov) to “cleanse” the ministry of corruption schemes that weakened the effectiveness of the military.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 13, 2026. This is one of the largest corruption trials involving a civilian employee of the military in the modern history of Russia.
