Surovikin remains out of contact. Global media investigate

"The Voice of America writes:

Western media and experts are trying to figure out what happened to General Sergei Surovikin, one of Russia's top military leaders, who disappeared from public view after a failed military mutiny by mercenaries from the Wagner Group led by a former close associate of President Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin.

sergei Surovikin, 67, is deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine and briefly acted as commander. Propagandists have also nicknamed him "General Armageddon" because of the aggressive tactics he used in Syria. In the past, Surovikin became famous after a failed coup in 1991, when he ordered his battalion through a crowd of protesters, resulting in three deaths.

Under Surovikin's command, the Russian army pelted Ukraine with missiles, attacking energy infrastructure.

Despite this, some Western military analysts considered Surovikin an effective military leader, and Russian military correspondents saw him as a potential future defence minister.

An article in the New York Times on Tuesday, citing US intelligence information, had generated interest in the Western press and analysts alike regarding the fate of General Sergei Surovikin, one of Russia's top military leaders. According to the article, Surovikin had advance knowledge of plans for a rebellion organised by the mercenaries of the Wagner Group under the leadership of Yevgeny Prigozhin who previously had ties to President Vladimir Putin.

On Wednesday, the Russian English-language newspaper Moscow Times reported, citing sources in the Russian Defence Ministry, that General Surovikin, the former commander-in-chief of Russian forces in Ukraine, had been detained on suspicion of involvement in the failed Wagner rebellion. One source also noted that Surovikin had taken Wagner's side in a confrontation with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

A Wall Street Journal article relying on Western officials also mentions that Prigozhin may have communicated his plans to senior military officials, including General Surovikin, with whom the Wagnerites previously fought in Syria. However, it remains unclear whether Surovikin passed this information on to Russian intelligence services.

US officials in Washington told the WSJ that while Surovikin may have been sympathetic to Prigozhin's goals, he did not necessarily support or participate in the insurgency.

On Friday, Surovikin, as the senior commander, denounced the plot and urged Prigozhin to stop his men. According to the WSJ, the military under Surovikin launched air strikes against the Wagner convoy, the only attack by regular troops against the rebels.

On Thursday, the British business daily Financial Times, citing three unnamed sources familiar with the situation, reported that General Surovikin had been temporarily detained as part of a "crackdown on elite supporters of the war" during the retreat of Russian troops from Kherson.

According to information from Bloomberg and the independent investigative publication IStories, Surovikin was questioned by law enforcement authorities but then released.

The Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, did not provide clarity on Surovikin's fate, refusing to comment on the topic in front of Russian journalists and directing them to contact the Defence Ministry.

The Hill columnist's opinion is that Surovikin's statement, in which he condemned Prigozhin's rebellion, may have been a strategic move to keep his career prospects alive, possibly as commander of all Russian forces in Ukraine.

British military expert Lawrence Friedman warns that if Surovikin was indeed part of the uprising, his removal could prove more destabilising for Russia than the uprising itself. He also considers Surovikin to be one of the most capable military commanders in Russia, and his absence will be noticeable.

The opinion of another expert, Mick Ryan, is that if Surovikin did know about the mutiny, it could seriously undermine the credibility of the Russian military and security and have a negative impact on the morale of soldiers on the battlefield. It could also increase pressure on Russian forces in light of the current Ukrainian offensive.