Questions swirl around Russian general amid rumors of involvement in mercenary revolt
Mike Brest
Video Embed
The deputy commander of Russian troops in Ukraine has reportedly been arrested in connection with the Wagner Group’s attempted rebellion against top military leaders.
Gen. Sergei Surovikin, who previously served as Russia’s top commander in Ukraine, had advance warning of Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin’s planned coup, the New York Times reported, citing United States officials. While it’s unclear whether he was actively involved in the short-lived rebellion, the Moscow Times reported Surovikin was arrested on Wednesday.
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME PAYMENTS: BIG CITIES THAT HAVE JUMPED INTO PROGRAMS TO GIVE AWAY MONEY
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the case on Thursday. He previously played down the possibility that Surovikin had known about the Wagner mutiny ahead of time, calling it “speculation and rumors.”
The general hasn’t been seen in days. He most recently posted a video urging Prigozhin to cease his rebellion last Friday.
It remains unclear if any Russian generals were involved in or supportive of Prigozhin’s reported plan to capture Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of Russia’s general staff. He was forced to accelerate his timeline after Russian intelligence officials uncovered the plot, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing Western officials.
The Wagner Group’s ability to capture a southern Russian city even though Russian leaders reportedly had advanced knowledge of the plan raises additional questions about their capabilities.
The Wagner commander had long clashed with Shoigu and Gerasimov, previously accusing them of treason and of withholding crucial resources from his forces even as they battled on the front lines of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Prigozhin purportedly left Russia for Belarus, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said, though he has not been seen publicly since ending his rebellion. Peskov said he had no “information” regarding Prigozhin’s whereabouts on Thursday, according to state media outlet Tass.
Prizoghin declined to sign a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry after he was notified that the Wagner Group would no longer be participating in the war in Ukraine, the chairman of the State Duma’s Defense Committee, Andrey Kartapolov, told the media on Thursday, per Tass.