Russia Detains ‘General Armageddon’ In Crackdown On Pro-Wagner Elites

Sergei Surovikin, a top general in the Russian army, has been arrested as the Kremlin cracks down on Wagner supporters after last week’s failed mutiny by the militia.

Surovikin is a top Russian general who is known to get along well with Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin. He hasn’t been seen or heard from in a few days, and three people who know about the situation say he has been detained.

It is still not clear if Surovikin, who is in charge of Russia’s air force, has been charged with plotting Saturday’s uprising led by Prigozhin or if he has just been held for questioning.

Members of the Moscow elite say that Vladimir Putin has started to clean up the top of the security services. The president is doing this to silence critics, bring back order, and re-establish his power after the first coup attempt in Russia in 30 years.

In recent days, many of the hardliners who were known to support Wagner and criticize the regular armed forces have disappeared, while loyalists like Sergei Shoigu, who Prigozhin wanted to get rid of with his coup, have been given a platform and have been seen in public at high-level meetings and events.

A western government source said, “Putin knew about Prigozhin’s plans for an uprising ahead of time, so he could prepare in some ways.” “He could see what each person did that day. And now he’s putting things in order.”

The source said that they thought Surovikin had been arrested and added, “We know that more people will follow.”

Surovikin was given the job of leading Russia’s attack of Ukraine last fall. He was given the nickname “General Armageddon” because of how hard he bombed Syria.

Even though he was demoted quickly, he was still a favorite among Russia’s most ardent war supporters. This spring, he started working as a curator for the Wagner paramilitary group fighting on the lines in east Ukraine.

As the fight between Prigozhin and the military establishment in Moscow got worse, Surovikin is thought to have served as a mediator.

When the conflict turned into an armed revolt against the defense elite in Moscow late on Friday, Surovikin made a short recording asking Wagner fighters to put down their guns. Then he was gone.

“He isn’t there. One person who knows about the situation told the FT on Wednesday, “There’s no contact with him, his guards, or his adjutant.”

Alexei Venediktov, a veteran Russian writer, said on Wednesday that Surovikin “hasn’t talked to his family in three days.” Even his security guards won’t talk to him.”

Surovikin’s friendship with Prigozhin might have made people suspicious of him. While the Wagner warlord screamed against other generals and the defense elite, accusing them of “genocide” and blaming them for the high number of Russian soldiers who died during the invasion, he talked to Surovikin.

Surovikin also had disagreements with the top leaders of the defense ministry over tactics and strategy, which led Putin to remove him from his position as head of the Russian attack after only a few months. Putin instead reappointed Valery Gerasimov, and Russia soon started a new attack.

On Thursday, the Kremlin wouldn’t answer any questions about Surovikin and told reporters to ask the defense ministry instead.

On Wednesday, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, said that a story in the New York Times, which cited US officials, that the general knew about the coup plot ahead of time was not true. Peskov said, “There will be a lot of rumors about these events.” He added, “I think this is an example of that.”