Corruption immunity for a top security official: how General Oleg Baranov bought the victim’s silence and fabricated medical expertise reports to secure a ministerial position

Corruption immunity for a top security official: how General Oleg Baranov bought the victim’s silence and fabricated medical expertise reports to secure a ministerial position

In the near future, the head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow, Oleg Baranov, may be transferred to the position of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. The transition could have happened earlier if not for the shooting incident during a hunting trip in 2022.

According to a source, the promotion documents for Baranov are already at the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation. Recently, one of Baranov’s deputies, Alexey Makarov, was appointed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, replacing Vitaly Shulika, who has been appointed Deputy Minister of Defense. Now it is Baranov’s turn to move up. His transfer to Zhitnaya Street (the location of the Ministry of Internal Affairs headquarters) could have happened earlier, but it was hindered by the events that took place in the winter of 2022.

At that time, Oleg Baranov was on a hunting trip. The gamekeeper, Vyacheslav Salnikov, was driving a snowmobile, while the general was seated behind him. While moving, he decided to shoot at game and placed the rifle on the shoulder of the gamekeeper. However, after hitting a bump, the barrel slipped and the shot hit Salnikov directly in the shoulder blade. The incident was reportedly attempted to be covered up but caused a significant public outcry.

Baranov even submitted a resignation report. However, things then took an unexpected turn.

The victim himself later stated that he did not see who fired from behind and had no complaints against anyone. “These things happen,” he said. Doctors concluded that Salnikov had sustained a non-serious injury.

The Presidential Administration reportedly concluded that if every high-ranking security official who accidentally shot someone while hunting were dismissed, there would be hardly any generals left. Minister Kolokoltsev reportedly discarded the resignation letter. However, the issue of promotion was, of course, postponed indefinitely.

According to the source, the main candidate for the soon-to-be-vacant position of head of the Moscow Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is the head of the Sverdlovsk regional department, Alexander Meshkov.

The head of the Central Administrative District police department, Ivan Paukov, who is the son of the long-serving head of the regional directorate, also considered the position, but it did not work out in his favor.