One reason for the decline of the Russian military during the 1990s was corruption at the top. There was increasing corruption during the Soviet period, but once the communists were gone it got a lot worse. Once senior official was recently accused of stealing $450 million. In the Far East, two air force colonels and the former commander of an airborne division were accused of stealing $300,000. The corruption exists at all levels, with reports of soldiers selling weapons to rebels in Chechnya.