A Russian general who’s been questioned over the failed mutiny by Wagner mercenaries was conspicuously absent at a meeting of top army chiefs where Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu denounced the rebellion.
Sergei Surovikin, 56, a career military officer dubbed “General Armageddon” for his ruthless tactics in Syria, hasn’t been seen since the short-lived rebellion ended on June 24. He was quizzed over his links to Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin over several days last week at an undisclosed location, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
The “attempt to destabilize the situation in Russia” failed because the armed forces “remained true to their oath” Shoigu told officers at the Defense Ministry meeting broadcast Monday on state TV, in his first public comments on the uprising. “The provocation didn’t affect” Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, he said.
The insurrection by the one-time ally of President Vladimir Putin spiraled into the biggest threat to the Russian leader’s 24-year rule and has left unanswered questions about the extent to which elements in the military may have known in advance about Prigozhin’s plans. Wagner forces came within 200 kilometers (124 miles) of Moscow facing little opposition before halting their advance after Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko brokered a deal to end the crisis.
Under that agreement, Putin pledged to allow Prigozhin to move to Belarus as well as any Wagner fighters who wanted to join him. Criminal investigations into Wagner on accusations of armed uprising were also closed.
While Lukashenko said last week that Prigozhin had arrived in Belarus, the Wagner founder hasn’t been seen since late on June 24 and his social media channels have all gone silent.
Shoigu made no mention of the number of Wagner fighters who’d agreed to sign contracts with the Defense Ministry by a July 1 deadline that was a spark for the mutiny. Prigozhin had accused Shoigu of attempting to “destroy” Wagner, whose troops have played a key role in Russia’s war in Ukraine, particularly in fighting over the eastern city of Bakhmut.
There are other signs that Prigozhin’s legacy in Russia is being dismantled. His Russian media operations are being wound up and websites belonging to his “Patriot” group have been blocked by regulators, the Izvestia newspaper reported Friday.
Ukraine’s military is continuing to press its counteroffensive aimed at retaking parts of southern and eastern Ukraine occupied by Russian forces. Putin announced Russia was annexing four regions of Ukraine in September even as his troops don’t fully control the territories.
The president held a televised meeting Monday with the head of Russia’s central election committee, Ella Pamfilova, who told him plans were in place to hold regional elections in occupied regions of Ukraine in September, though the votes could be postponed if the situation deteriorated.
