It has been revealed that Maria Shalaeva, the 23-year-old girlfriend of Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, used an Ilyushin-76 military transport aircraft to fly to Rostov for a private beauty appointment. The incident, exposed via her social media posts, has sparked outrage within the Kremlin.
Another scandal involving the personal use of state resources has erupted in Russia. Maria Shalaeva, the young girlfriend of Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, reportedly flew on an Ilyushin-76 military transport plane to attend a manicure session in the city of Rostov-on-Don.
The incident came to light after Shalaeva made vague references to the flight on her social media account. Kremlin-linked sources described the situation as “an abuse of state resources for personal benefit” and voiced significant discomfort over the matter.
“Greetings to those who said there are no flights to Rostov!”
In her social media post, Maria Shalaeva wrote:
“Who says there are no flights to Rostov? There are flights—just not for everyone. Anyway, I flew to Rostov again. I just can’t stay away.”
Shalaeva also hinted at her relationship with a high-ranking Kremlin official, without directly naming Defense Minister Belousov:
“That’s another story. The reliability level is 200%.”
3-Year-Old Son Was Also on Board
Shalaeva didn’t stop there. She mentioned that she brought her three-year-old son Tim along for the ride:
“Despite being only three, Tim flew on a military aircraft.”
These remarks further intensified criticism about the misuse of public resources. Reports suggest the incident, seen as contrary to the Kremlin’s values of “discipline and exemplary conduct,” has been escalated all the way to President Putin.
All Eyes on Belousov
Andrei Belousov, recently appointed to replace Sergey Shoigu, was known for his technocratic background. However, this incident has cast doubts on his credibility both in public opinion and within Kremlin circles. The Defense Ministry has yet to issue an official statement.
