Russian military opens embezzlement probe

Military prosecutors in Russia say they\'ve opened an investigation into a $1 million embezzlement scheme involving passing off used equipment as new. The Space Defense Forces received shipments in late 2011 of equipment that was later found to have components that were were 20 years old, although the equipment was sold as new, RIA Novosti reported Monday. The investigation is the latest in a series of fraud cases involving the Space Defense Forces. Earlier this month, military prosecutors said they were investigating the possible theft of $225,000 at a health resort owned by the Defense Ministry. Managers at the Slavyanka sanitarium are suspected of stealing funds by paying third parties for work that was never done. The Russian Federal Defense Contracts Service said last week their records show about 1,500 cases of wrongdoing involving Russian defense spending were uncovered in 2012.