A senior Russian general is said to have “disappeared” amid allegations that he was aware of Yevgeny Prigozhin of the Wagner Group’s armed uprising before it became a danger to Vladimir Putin’s government.
One idea holds that General Sergei “Armageddon” Surovikin is being questioned in connection with a conspiracy to overthrow Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in an effort to eliminate internal adversaries.
The second-in-command of the Russian armed forces is Surovikin, 56.
He is connected to ‘coup leader’ Prigozhin, the commander of the Wagner mercenary army.
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, reported The New York Times.
The suspicion is that this general is Surovikin, a commander known for his ruthlessness and brutality.
Now 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.
He said publicly at the time: ‘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.
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.
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’.