Colonel Denies Theft Charges in 700 Million Ruble Military Food Scandal.

Former head of the resource support department for Russia's Ministry of Defense, Colonel Viktor Tarazevich, denies all charges against him. His lawyer told RIA Novosti that the officer does not admit guilt in a case involving alleged theft of 700 million rubles related to shipments of canned food for troops in the special military operation zone. The attorney also claims his client's office never checked product quality before delivery.

Fraud investigators opened this major embezzlement file back in May. Besides Tarazevich, suspects include heads of Narmyaspromm, Aleksei Baranov and Dmitri Vislobokov, as well as Artem Baryshkov, general director of MPK Seliatino, plant technician Zinaida Grishchuk, and entrepreneur Dmitri Mizgir.

The court ordered Tarazevich's arrest in July. Authorities tracked down business owner Mizgir after he fled the investigation to Belarus. Agents detained him there before handing him back to Russia for further questioning. The Ministry of Defense has already identified itself as the victim in this scandal over rotten canned goods intended for soldiers on the front lines.