Russian General Sergey Surovikin, who had been absent from public view since the Wagner Group rebellion in June, has been relieved of his duties as commander of Russia’s aerospace forces, as per Russian media reports. Surovikin’s dismissal is attributed to his transition to another position, according to a Russian Defense Ministry source cited by the news site RBC.
The source clarified that the general is presently on a short vacation, accounting for his absence from the public eye for the past two months. In his absence, General Viktor Afzalov, the chief of staff to the aerospace forces, has been appointed as the interim commander, replacing Surovikin, as reported by state-run media outlet RIA Novosti.
Surovikin’s last appearance was in a video on June 24, wherein he urged Wagner Group founder and mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin to surrender. Prigozhin had gathered a sizable group of mercenaries and was advancing towards Moscow before eventually striking a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin and agreeing to step down. The charges against Prigozhin were dropped, and he was exiled to Belarus.
Following the brief mutiny, Putin initiated what some Russian bloggers referred to as a “purge” within the military ranks. Soldiers’ loyalty was assessed through interviews and interrogations. Media reports around the same time suggested that Surovikin, who has close ties with Prigozhin, was detained by Russian authorities.
Russian military blogger Rybar, renowned for having over a million subscribers on Telegram, claimed this week that Surovikin was promptly removed from his position after Prigozhin’s rebellion. Rybar stated that the general was initially held at the notorious Lefortovo prison for questioning before being transferred to a more comfortable facility. However, Rybar noted that these details were not entirely new to those who were well-informed.
Surovikin, known as “General Armageddon” due to his ruthless tactics during Russian campaigns in Syria, assumed the role of commander of the aerospace forces in October 2017. He also commanded Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine from October to January of this year, before being succeeded by General Valery Gerasimov.
Note: The article concludes with a copyright notice.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
