(Reuters) -A Russian deputy defence minister, who has been in his job for eight years, has been detained on suspicion of bribe-taking, the country's top investigative body said on Tuesday.
A brief statement by the Investigative Committee on Telegram said Timur Ivanov had been taken into custody and an investigation into his case was proceeding.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by Russian news agencies, said a report on Ivanov's detention had been presented to President Vladimir Putin. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had been informed in advance of his detention, he said.
Russian news reports said Ivanov, 48, could face up to 15 years in prison.
Forbes magazine listed Ivanov, an expert in cybernetics and the nuclear industry, as one of the wealthiest men in Russia's security structures.
News outlet RBK posted a picture of him attending a meeting of ministerial officials earlier on Tuesday chaired by Shoigu.
Russian news reports said Ivanov was likely the most senior Russian official to face such charges since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
He worked in companies dealing with fuel and energy and in the Moscow regional government before joining the defence ministry in 2010. He became a deputy minister in 2016.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
