Support The Moscow Times!

Paratroopers Commander Defends Serdyukov

Paratroopers commander Vladimir Shamanov on Wednesday denied that Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov had ordered the demolition of the church for Ryazan region paratroopers.

Serdyukov suggested moving the church to a nearby village to give villagers access because students at the Ryazan paratroopers academy spent little time on the academy's premises, Shamanov said in a statement carried by Lenta.ru late Tuesday.

Kommersant reported Monday that Serdyukov ordered the academy's Colonel Andrei Krasov to demolish the wooden church during a Sept. 30 visit, saying military funds should not be spent on religious buildings.

Krasov reportedly defended the construction, telling Serdyukov that it was financed by former paratroopers and locals. Serdyukov then ordered his subordinates to "fire the insolent colonel."

Shamanov did not say whether Krasov would be fired.

Paratroopers spokesman Alexander Cherednik was unavailable for comment Wednesday. Repeated calls to the academy went unanswered.

Shamanov himself has come under fire from Serdyukov, who reprimanded him for sending special forces to intervene in a law enforcement raid on his son-in-law’s business.

A ministry investigation found that Shamanov sent troops to the Sporttek plant, owned by Anatoly Khramushin, to impede the work of investigators Aug. 18.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more