Top Russian general who knew about mutiny plot now missing amid rumors of ‘interrogation’
The top Russian military leader thought to have had advance knowledge of the weekend’s armed mutiny has reportedly gone missing amid rumors he’s being interrogated for possible “complicity in the rebellion.”
Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the ruthless one-time leader of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was last seen telling the Wagner Group mercenaries to stop their uprising in an uncomfortable appeal likened to “a hostage video.”
“Surovikin has not been seen since Saturday,” when that video was filmed, according to the well-connected Rybar Telegram channel.
“It is not known for certain where General Armageddon is located,” the outlet said, using the nickname linked to Surovikin’s fearsome reputation.
“There is a version that he is under interrogation,” the outlet noted.
US officials first told the New York Times that Surovikin appeared to have advanced knowledge of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plans for an armed mutiny, one that President Vladimir Putin later likened to an attempted “civil war.”
Rybar said the revolt sparked “a general atmosphere of suspicion” among Russian leadership — one in which Surovikin and his allies “are accused of complicity in the rebellion.”
The armed rebellion of PMC [private military company] ‘Wagner’ became the reason for large-scale purges” and a “test of the ministry for loyalty,” the respected outlet said.
“Support for PMCs has become a litmus test against which the [Russian] Armed Forces are scourged,” Rybar said.
“These cleansings concern not only the leadership — it also touched ordinary fighters” accused of not fighting back to stop the mercenaries’ advance toward Moscow, the outlet stated.
Early Wednesday, Rybar stressed that its report on “Surovikin’s arrest and interrogations in the light of his direct connection” with Prigozhin was based on “just rumors.”
On Wednesday, the Kremlin dismissed the whole story about Surovikin as such.
“There will now be a lot of speculation, gossip and so on around these events. I think this is one such example,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the New York Times report.
Prigozhin arrived in Belarus on Tuesday, part of a deal offering him amnesty there to avoid further bloodshed. Russian authorities surprisingly announced the same day that the investigation had already been closed, with no charges planned for the rebels.
