The absence from the public scene of two important generals, unconfirmed reports of the arrest of one of them, as well as the Kremlin's refusal to clarify the situation are fueling rumors of a military purge in Russia after aborted rebellion of the Wagner Group and the forced exile in Belarus of its leader, the opaque oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Dmitri Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, offered a coy denial on Wednesday when The New York Times reported that General Sergei Surovikin, second in command of Russia's military intervention in Ukraine, knew of Prigozhin's plans. It was, according to him, one more of the "speculations and conjectures" that will be there about the events of the weekend.
Later, another media outlet, The Moscow Times, confirmed that Surovikin is in custody, citing sources in the Russian Defense Ministry. Peskov again avoided the affair yesterday. "I recommend that they go to the Ministry of Defense. This is their prerogative", he pointed out.
"The issue with him was not good. For the authorities. I can't say more", said one of the sources quoted by The Moscow Times. According to a second source, "it seems that he (Surovikin) chose (Wagner's) side and they took him by the balls".
Surovikin, 56, was the only Russian military commander in whom Prigozhin, at odds with the military leadership for months, had publicly said he trusted. On Friday, June 23, when he announced he was standing up with 25,000 men, several Russian generals released videos calling on Wagner's mercenaries to stand down. One of them was Surovikin.
"We fought together... We are of the same blood, we are warriors. I am asking you to stop. The enemy is precisely waiting for the situation to worsen in our country", Surovikin told them. The 56-year-old general, a veteran of Afghanistan and other conflicts such as Chechnya and more recently Syria, has not been seen in public since.
Nicknamed "General Armageddon" for his harshness, Putin entrusted him with the direction of the military campaign in Ukraine in October. He left this responsibility in January 2023, when he was replaced by the Chief of Staff of the army, Valery Guerassimov. Surovikin came in second.
Gerassimov is precisely the other general whose absence in public fuels the rumors that something is brewing behind the scenes in Russia's military leadership. Aged 67, he has led the Russian army since 2012, when Serguei Xoigú assumed the Defense portfolio. Before his men marched on Moscow on Saturday, June 24, Prigozhin demanded the arrest of both.
Xoigu has appeared on television in several videos broadcast by the ministry he leads, but Gerassimov has not been seen for weeks. It is true that Putin was also not seen for two days until he appeared at various events in an attempt to consolidate his leadership. In any case, it is noteworthy that Gerassimov was absent on Tuesday from the various meetings of the head of the Kremlin with military personnel whom he thanked for their role in ending the riot.
Military blogger Vladimir Romanov said Surovikin's arrest took place on Sunday and that he is in the Lefórtovo detention center. The Financial Times newspaper also said he is being held, but it is not clear whether on conspiracy charges or just for questioning. Other military bloggers claimed that both he and other senior officers were being questioned. Influential Telegram channel Rybar claimed it was a purge of those who showed "lack of decision" to quell the rebellion.
After these reports, Surovikin's daughter, Veronika, came out yesterday, denying her father's arrest on the Baza Telegram channel. "Nothing has happened to him. It is at his place of work", he said.
