Russian General Sergei Surovikin is under arrest on suspicion of supporting a Wagner Force rebellion, The Moscow Times reports. Surovikin commanded Russian forces in Ukraine during the autumn, and in January was transferred to the post of deputy.
Rumors of Surovikin's arrest were already circulating over the weekend after they were published by pro-Kremlin military blogger Vladimir Romanov. He said Surovikin had already been arrested on Sunday and was being held at Moscow's Lefortovo detention center.
Surovikin and Defense Minister Shoigu. "There will be news about Prigozhin," Photo: AP
Two sources close to the Department of Defense have confirmed the information to the newspaper. "The story there was problematic for the ruler," one of them said. "There will be news about Prigozhin. Surovikin appears to have joined the rebels and captured him in a sensitive place," the second official said. The Russian Defense Ministry did not comment on the information.
Yevgeny Prigozhin threatens Russian Defense Ministry officials, photo: AP
On Friday evening, when the rebellion of the head of the Wagner Prigozhin force and his journey to Rostov began, Surovikin was one of two Russian generals who recorded messages calling for an end to the uprising and not to damage the unity of the ranks.
Surovikin calls for an end to the rebellion on Friday | Russian Ministry of Defense
"I call on you to stop," he told Wagner, "the enemy is just waiting for division among us. The convoys must be stopped and the Supreme Commander, the President of the Russian Federation, must be obeyed."
The choice of Surovikin was apparently not coincidental because the man was considered close to Prigozhin and received high praise from him – in stark contrast to his direct commanders Defense Minister Shoigu and Chief of Staff Gerasimov, who in January replaced Surovikin as commander of the Russian invasion.
This morning, The New York Times reported that Surovikin knew ahead of time about Prigozhin's plans. U.S. intelligence is trying to figure out whether the general helped Prigozhin plan his moves.
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