Former Russian General Lt Gen Vadim Shamarin has been sentenced to seven years in a maximum-security penal colony for accepting bribes totaling 36 million roubles (£331,000) from a telecommunications company, in exchange for increasing state contracts. Shamarin, who held a senior position overseeing military communications, was arrested amid a broader corruption crackdown following the dismissal of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in May 2024. The court also imposed a seven-year ban on public service, stripped him of his military rank, and confiscated the bribe amount.