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The fate of several senior Russian generals after the failed rebellion of the Wagner group, unclear

2023-06-29 19:57:48, Kosova & Bota CNA

The fate of several senior Russian generals after the failed rebellion of the

Russia's top generals have not been seen in public since the failure of a coup aimed at ousting the government, as President Vladimir Putin tries to restore his authority. Unconfirmed reports say at least one general has been arrested. With the exception of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian army generals are being verified as to whether they remained loyal to the Kremlin during the rebellion. Although reports from Russia and other countries are unconfirmed, there are rumors that a massive purge is currently underway within the Russian armed forces.

Armed forces chief of staff General Valery Gerasimov has not appeared in public since last week's failed rebellion, when mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin demanded his ouster. He has not been mentioned in the press statements of the Ministry of Defense since June 9.

General Gerasimov, 67, is the commander of Russian forces in Ukraine and one of three people with access to nuclear weapons codes, according to some Western military analysts.

Another senior military official absent from the public eye is General Sergei Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon" by the Russian press for his aggressive tactics in the war in Syria. He is the deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine.

An article published Tuesday by the New York Times, based on US intelligence, said he had prior knowledge of the rebellion and that Russian authorities were investigating whether he was an associate of Wagner's mercenaries.

Yesterday, the Kremlin rejected the announcement of the "New York Times", saying that it was a speculation.

US officials told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday that General Surovikin had been supporting Wagner mercenary group leader Prigozhin, but Western intelligence did not know for sure whether he had aided the rebellion in any way.

The Russian-language version of the Moscow Times newspaper and a military blogger reported the arrest of General Surovikin, while several other Russian military correspondents said he and other senior officers were being questioned by the FSB security service. to verify their loyalty.

Reuters could not determine whether General Surovikin had been arrested, or was being investigated, along with others.

Rybar, an influential channel on the Telegram messaging app run by a former Russian defense ministry press officer, writes that a purge is underway.

According to him, the authorities were trying to remove military personnel who were thought to have shown a "lack of determination" in putting down the rebellion. According to reports, some of the armed forces appear to have done little to stop Wagner's fighters in the early stages of the rebellion.

"The armed rebellion by the private military company Wagner has become a pretext for a massive purge in the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces," writes Rybar.

Such a move, if confirmed, could change how Russia continues its offensive in Ukraine.

He could also strengthen the positions of other senior military and security figures who are considered loyal.

There is no official comment on what was happening from the defense ministry.

Some Russian and Western military and political analysts believe that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, a longtime ally of President Putin whom Wanger Group leader Prigozhin wanted to oust, along with General Gerasimov on charges of incompetence, may be in fact now more secure in his position.

"I think Prigozhin actually expected that something would be done about Shoigu and Gerasimov, that President Putin would decide in his favor," Michael Kofman, an expert on the Russian military at the Carnegie Endowment Institute, wrote on Twitter.

"Instead, his rebellion may have ensured their continued tenure, despite being universally recognized as incompetent and widely hated in the Russian Federation's armed forces," Mr Kofman writes .

General Viktor Zolotov, the head of the National Guard and one-time bodyguard of President Putin, appears to be another beneficiary, after appearing in public to say that his men were ready to "stand to the death" to protect Moscow from the Wagner Group.

He has spoken of the possibility of acquiring heavy weaponry and tanks for his forces as the rebellion unfolds.

General Gerasimov's absence was noted when President Putin on Tuesday thanked the military for averting a civil war, unlike Minister Shoigu, who has made few public appearances since then.

General Surovikin, Gerasimov's deputy, was last seen on Saturday when he appeared in a video calling on Wagner group leader Prigozhin to end his rebellion. He looked exhausted and it was unclear if he was speaking under pressure.

Dara Massicot, an expert on the Russian military at the RAND Institute, says something seemed odd about the video, in which General Surovikin has an automatic weapon on his lap.

"I noticed a few days ago that there was something wrong with that video. He does not wear his insignia, or rank tabs. Have over 30 years in the military and not keep them? There is something wrong here," she wrote on Twitter.

There were unconfirmed reports by Russian media and bloggers on Wednesday evening that General Surovikin was being held in Moscow's Lefortovo detention facility following his arrest.

Alexei Venediktov, a journalist with significant Russian sources, said that General Surovikin had not been in contact with his family since Saturday and that his bodyguards had also gone silent.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, who for months had harshly criticized and insulted Minister Shoigu and General Gerasimov for their incompetence in the war in Ukraine, had often praised General Surovik, who is widely respected in the military for his experience in Chechnya and Syria.

General Surovikin, who was the first commander of Russian forces in Ukraine before General Gerasimov was named to take over, is regarded by Western military analysts as an effective military man and was sometimes floated by Russian war correspondents as a possible successor to the Minister of Defense. protection.

Lawrence Freedman, professor of war studies at King's College London, said General Surovikin's departure, if true, could be more destabilizing to Russia's military efforts than Saturday's rebellion "especially if other collaborators of Prigozhin and Surovikin begin to be purged".

"Surovikin is wild, but he is one of the most capable Russian commanders," Mr. Freedman wrote on Twitter./ VOA