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9 Apr, 10:26

Russian General Popov asks court to send him back to special military operation — lawyer

"Together with the Defense Ministry, we have filed a petition to suspend proceedings in the case and change pre-verdict restrictions in connection with a decision to send Ivan popov to the special military operation," the lawyer said

MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. The former commander of Russia’s 58th Army, Major General Ivan Popov, asked the Tambov Garrison Military Court to suspend his trial as the Russian Defense Ministry agreed to sign him up to participate in the special military operation in Ukraine, according to his defense lawyer, Sergey Buynovsky.

"Together with the Defense Ministry, we have filed a petition to suspend proceedings in the case and change pre-verdict restrictions in connection with a decision to send Ivan Ivanovich to the special military operation," the lawyer said, referring to the general by his first name and patronymic.

Popov thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for support and trust, according to the lawyer.

At the request of the state prosecutor, the court in Tambov announced a 30-minute break in the trial. The prosecutor is scheduled to address the court in oral arguments on Wednesday to formally ask for a certain sentence for Ivan Popov.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Kommersant newspaper published an open letter from Popov to Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which the general said military service is his life purpose and asked the president to look into his life situation and send him back to service. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had been apprised of the letter.

Facing fraud charges, Popov was dismissed from the armed forces. According to the investigation, Popov was involved in the embezzlement of more than 1,700 tons of rolled metal products in 2023. The general pleaded not guilty.