Russia detains ‘General Armageddon’ in crackdown on pro-Wagner elite

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Top Russian army general Sergei Surovikin has been taken into custody as the Kremlin cracks down on Wagner supporters after last week’s failed militia uprising.

Surovikin, a senior Russian general known to have good relations with Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, has not been heard from for several days and has been detained, according to three people familiar with the matter.

It is not clear whether Surovikin, the head of Russia’s air force, has been charged as a conspirator in Saturday’s uprising led by Prigozhin, or merely detained for questioning.

Members of Moscow’s elite have said Vladimir Putin has begun a cleanup campaign at the top of the security services, seeking to placate presidential critics, restore order and regain his authority after the first coup attempt in Russia in three years. Moving on to install. decade.

Many hardliners known to be sympathetic to Wagner and critical of the regular armed forces have disappeared from view in recent days, while loyalists – such as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, whom Prigozhin ousted from power in his coup – has been given a platform and publicly shown participating in high-level meetings and events.

A Western government official said, “Putin knew (about Prigozhin’s rebellion plans) in advance, as we understand it, and therefore could have made some degree of preparation.” “He was able to see who did what that day. And he’s cleaning the house now.”

The officer said he believed Surovikin had been taken into custody, adding “we understand there will be more people who will follow”.

Known as “General Armageddon” for his brutal bombing tactics in Syria, Surovikin was promoted last autumn to manage Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Although rapidly demoted, he remained a favorite among the more hardline pro-war community in Russia, and this spring began serving as curator of the Wagner paramilitary group fighting on the front lines in eastern Ukraine.

As Prigozhin’s conflict with the military establishment in Moscow escalated, Surovikin is believed to have acted as a go-between.

Once the clashes turned into an armed uprising against the defense elite in Moscow late Friday, Surovikin recorded a brief statement calling on Wagner fighters to lay down their weapons. Then he disappeared.

“He is not at home. There has been no contact with him, or his guards, or his assistant,” one of the people familiar with the matter told the FT on Wednesday.

Veteran Russian journalist Alexey Venediktov said on Wednesday that Surovikin had not been in contact with his family for three days. Even their security guards do not respond.

Suspicion of Surovikin may have arisen because of his good relations with Prigozhin. While the Wagner chieftain railed against other generals and the defense elite—blaming them for the high death toll of Russian troops during the invasion and accusing them of “genocide”—he maintained talks with Surovikin.

Surovikin also clashed with top Defense Ministry officials over strategy and tactics, which led Putin to fire him as head of Russia’s invasion after just a few months on the job. Putin reappointed Valery Gerasimov in his place, and soon after Russia launched a new offensive.

The Kremlin on Thursday declined to answer any questions regarding Surovikin, telling reporters they should instead ask the Defense Ministry.

On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed a New York Times report that cited US officials as saying the general had advance knowledge of the coup plot. Peskov said he expected “a lot of speculation about these events”, adding, “I think this is an example of that”.