In the aftermath of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin’s apparent short-lived mutiny, observers have been keen to uncover any support he may have had within the upper echelons of Russia’s military command that might have encouraged the move.
Since the events of last weekend and Putin’s assurances of his government’s total control, two of Russia’s most high-profile generals have not been seen in public, and reports suggest that one of them has even been detained.
Russian authorities have allegedly detained General Sergei Surovikin, who previously oversaw the country’s war effort in Ukraine, according to The New York Times. Surovikin’s formidable reputation has earned him the moniker “General Armageddon.”
The NYT reported that it has not been able to verify Surovikin’s status. A recording, purportedly of General Surovikin’s daughter denying that her father had been arrested, has been circulating on social media.
“Nothing happened to him,” she says in the recording, according to the NYT, which reported that the recording’s authenticity could not be independently verified.
The NYT previously reported that Surovikin knew about Prigozhin’s plans in advance. U.S. intelligence is still trying to ascertain if Surovikin only knew about Prigozhin’s plans or if he helped plan the mutiny, according to the NYT.
According to Fox News, an influential Russian blog channel called Rybar, run by a former Russian defense ministry press officer, said Russian military leadership is purging officers whose indecision is being blamed for the lack of resistance to Wagner’s advances into Russia.
CNN reported on Friday that it had obtained exclusive documents that suggested Surovikin was a “secret VIP member” of Wagner.
The current commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, has not been seen in public since Prigozhin specifically demanded that he be removed, along with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Prigozhin had criticized both senior officers in recent months for what he claimed was their lack of support for his private military force.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov’s evasiveness when asked about Surovikin likely indicates that the general is being detained, reported the NYT.
The Dallas Express asked Col. Douglas Macgregor, retired Army colonel and former senior advisor to the U.S. secretary of defense, for his perspective on the situation.
“I’m being told that Surovikin has run afoul of Gerasimov,” Col. Macgregor said in an email.
Putin has tolerated factions within the Russian military for years, with some within the armed forces ranks less than supportive of Shoigu, according to the NYT.
The alleged purge may be an indicator that Putin’s post-mutiny tolerance for dissent in the ranks will be much more limited, reported the NYT.