Global Courant
Russia’s top generals have disappeared from the public eye after a failed mercenary mutiny aimed at overthrowing the top man amid an attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin to assert his authority and unconfirmed reports of at least one arrest.
Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s top general, has not appeared in public or on state television since Saturday’s aborted mutiny, when mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin demanded that Gerasimov be handed over. He has also not been mentioned in a Department of Defense press release since June 9.
Gerasimov, 67, is the commander of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the holder of one of Russia’s three “nuclear briefcases,” according to some Western military analysts.
Also absent is General Sergei Surovikin, dubbed “General Armageddon” by the Russian press for his aggressive tactics in the Syrian conflict. He is the deputy commander of the Russian armed forces in Ukraine.
A New York Times report, based on a US intelligence briefing, said Tuesday that Surovikin had prior knowledge of the mutiny and that Russian authorities were checking whether he was complicit. The Kremlin downplayed the report on Wednesday, saying there was and would be much speculation and gossip.
The Russian-language version of the Moscow Times and a military blogger reported on Surovikin’s arrest, while some other military correspondents with a large following in Russia said he and other senior officers were questioned about their possible role in the mutiny.
Reuters was unable to determine whether Surovikin had been arrested.
Mutiny ‘pretext for a mass purge’
Rybar, an influential channel on the Telegram messaging application of a former Russian Defense Ministry press officer, said a purge was underway.
He said authorities were trying to weed out military personnel who would have shown “a lack of decisiveness” in crushing the mutiny amid some reports that parts of the armed forces appeared to have done little to kill Wagner fighters in the early stages of the war. to stop the fight. revolt.
Valery Gerasimov — seen in August 2022 — has not appeared in public or on state television since Saturday’s aborted mutiny, when mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin demanded that Gerasimov be handed over. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
“The armed uprising by the private military company Wagner has become a pretext for a massive purge in the ranks of the Russian armed forces,” said Rybar.
If confirmed, such a move could change the way Russia conducts its war in Ukraine — what it calls a “special military operation” — and create unrest in the ranks at a time when Moscow is trying to thwart a Ukrainian counter-offensive.
It could also strengthen or elevate the positions of other senior military and security figures who are considered loyal.
There was no official comment on what was going on from the Defense Department.
Some Russian and Western military and political analysts believe that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, a veteran Putin ally who wanted to bring down Prigozhin along with Gerasimov over his alleged incompetence, may now be more secure in his job.
“I think (Prigozhin) actually expected something to be done about Shoigu and Gerasimov, for Putin to rule in his favor,” Michael Kofman, a Russian military specialist at the Carnegie Endowment think tank, wrote on Twitter.
“Instead, his mutiny may have allowed them to continue their tenure despite being widely recognized as incompetent and widely loathed in the armed forces of the Russian Federation.”
Viktor Zolotov, head of the National Guard who used to be Putin’s bodyguard, appears to be another beneficiary of the mutiny after appearing publicly to say his men were ready to stand “to death”. to defend Moscow against Wagner.
He has spoken of the possibility of getting heavy weapons and tanks for his troops in the aftermath of the mutiny.
Notable absences
Gerasimov was conspicuous by his absence as Putin on Tuesday thanked the military for averting civil war, unlike Shoigu, who has made several public appearances since then.
Russian General Sergei Surovikin – seen in November 2021 – has been absent from the public since the weekend. (Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Reuters)
Surovikin, Gerasimov’s deputy, was last seen on Saturday appearing in a video calling on Prigozhin to stop his mutiny. He looked exhausted and it was unclear whether he was speaking under duress.
There were unconfirmed Russian media and blogger reports on Wednesday evening that Surovikin was being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo Prison following his arrest.
Alexei Venediktov, a well-connected journalist, said – without citing his sources – that Surovikin had not had any contact with his family since Saturday and that his bodyguards were also silent.
Prigozhin, who had spent months defaming Shoigu and Gerasimov for their perceived incompetence in the war in Ukraine, had often praised Surovikin, who is widely respected in the military for his experience in Chechnya and Syria.
Surovikin, who served a stint as general commander of the war in Ukraine before Gerasimov was appointed to take over, is considered an effective operator by Western military analysts and parts of the Ukrainian military.
Russian war correspondents had spoken of him as a potential future defense minister.
