Sergei Surovikin, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Federation. Reuters Yonhap News
The Moscow Times reported on the 28th (local time), citing two sources close to the Russian Ministry of Defense, that Sergei Surovikin, a key elite of the Russian military and deputy commander of the Russian Federation, was arrested.
A source said, “The situation with him (Surovikin) is not good,” and “I can’t talk anymore.” Another source said that Surovykin was arrested in connection with Prigozhin: “It is clear that he sided with Prigozhin during the rebellion.”
Earlier that day, Russian military blogger Vladimir Romanov said that Surovikin was arrested on the 25th, the day after the mutiny, and is being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo detention center.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the arrest of Surovikin, the Moscow Times reported. Surovikin has not been seen in public since the 24th, raising questions about his future.
Previously, the New York Times reported on the 27th that Surovykin knew about Prigozhin’s rebellion plan in advance. In this regard, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed it as “gossip.”
A famous Russian military blogger, Ribari, said that there is a possibility of a massive purge inside the military after the rebellion, and that the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has been conducting an investigation into the military leadership for several days.
Surovikin is an elite soldier nicknamed ‘Armageddon’ for his brutality on the battlefield. He was appointed commander-in-chief in charge of the war in Ukraine in October of last year, but was sacked in January after three months.
Surovykin reportedly became close with Prigozhin while he was the commander of the Syrian Expeditionary Force.
Prigozhin praised Surovykin, saying, “Surovykin is the most capable commander in the Russian army” and “a person who was born to serve and be loyal to his country.”
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2023-06-29 02:37:00
