Vanished Russian General may be being questioned over Wagner mutiny

Russia’s General ‘Armageddon’ vanishes amid suspicion he is being interrogated about prior knowledge of Wagner’s mutiny in first sign Putin’s purge has begun

• General Surovikin, 56, is the second-in-command of the Russian armed forces
• US intelligence said a top Russian general had prior knowledge of Wagner plan

A top Russian general has ‘vanished’ amid claims he had advance knowledge of the weekend armed revolt which threatened Vladimir Putin’s regime.

One theory is that General Sergei ‘Armageddon’ Surovikin is under interrogation over a plot to oust defence minister Sergei Shoigu amid a hunt to purge the enemies within.

Surovikin, 56, is the second-in-command of the Russian armed forces. He has known links to ‘coup leader’ Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner mercenary army chief.

US officials briefed on American intelligence said a top Russian general had advance knowledge of Prigozhin’s plans to rebel against Shoigu and chief of the armed forces General Valery Gerasimov over failings in the war against Ukraine, The New York Times reports.

The suspicion is that this general is Surovikin, a commander known for his brutality and who has historically been described as one of the more ‘Wagner-friendly’ Russian military leaders.

However, commentators have cautioned that the US has an interest in undermining Surovikin, who is considered to be highly competent and ruthless, with the leaks causing more chaos for the Kremlin in the midst of the war in Ukraine.

There have been claims that Surovikin had advance knowledge of the weekend armed revolt which threatened Vladimir Putin’s regime

Surovkin has known links to ‘coup leader’ Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner mercenary army chief

The well-connected pro-war Rybar Telegram channel has revealed that Surovikin ‘has not been seen since Saturday’.

The military-linked channel stated: ‘The whereabouts of ‘General Armageddon’ is not known for certain.

‘There is a version that he is under interrogation.’

The channel said that while Gerasimov formally retains his title he is ‘no longer involved in decisions of issues in the [war].’

In command of the special military operation now is Airborne Forces Commander Mikhail Teplinsky, said Rybar.

Surovikin was put in charge of the Russian war effort in October only to be stripped of responsibility by Putin in January – yet he remained as Gerasimov’s deputy.

Before evidently disappearing Surovikin issued a desperate Saturday call to give up their opposition to the military leadership and return to their bases ‘before it is too late’.

He revealed he had been ordered back to Moscow from the frontline.

It now appears this may have been because of suspicions of his knowledge of the ‘coup’ as suspected sympathy for it.

Coup leader and Wagner mercenary army chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in Rostov-on-Don on Saturday

As the threat of a mutiny loomed, Surovikin toted a gun as he warned in a recorded statement: ‘We cannot play into the enemy’s hands during this hard time for our country.

‘Before it is not too late, it is necessary to obey the order of the popularly-elected president of the Russian Federation.’

It is alleged he has not been seen since recording this message.

Rybar stated: ‘The armed mutiny of the Wagner PMC [private military company] has become a pretext for large-scale purges in the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces and a crash test of the ministry’s loyalty.’

Junior ranks are also being purged of those who showed support for Wagner’s uprising against Putin’s commanders, it is claimed.

Surovikin was put in charge of the Russian war effort in October only to be stripped of responsibility by Putin in January – yet he remained as Gerasimov’s deputy

Meanwhile, a separate report said Putin was too scared to fire his ‘extremely dangerous’ defence minister, fearing him as a direct rival.

The weakened dictator eventually halted the armed revolt at the weekend which specifically targeted Shoigu for his failings in the war.

But VChK-OGPU Telegram channel cited an insider source saying Putin could not agree to revolt leader Prigozhin’s demand to fire the 68-year-old defence minister because of Shoigu’s popularity with senior officials.

‘Shoigu is extremely dangerous in the event of resignation, due to his knowledge, the huge number of people loyal to him in leadership positions, and the presence of levers of influence … in the Kremlin,’ said the channel’s source.

Shoigu has served longer in the Russian government than Putin, and knows where bodies are buried.

Fighters of Wagner private mercenary group deployed in a street near the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don

He is not like other Putin ministers ‘whose silence and inaction can be bought with money’, said the source.

‘Everything is more serious here. Putin is not ready for such a conflict now.’

When negotiations involving Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko and FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov were underway on Saturday to halt the armed revolt, Putin bluntly refused to oust Shoigu.

In the event a deal was hatched to allow Prigozhin to go unpunished into exile even though Putin had declared the Wagner boss was guilty of ‘treason’ and ‘betrayal’.

Sources also indicate that during Saturday’s unfolding events Putin remained out of touch – even to Lukashenko who was seeking to help him with negotiations.

He only dealt with Bortnikov.

Putin is believed to have fled Moscow for his forest palace at Valdai where he has a bunker.

The new disclosures highlight the deep splits and instability at the pinnacle of 70-year-old Putin’s power structure as he suffers Ukrainian territorial gains in the war.

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