Russian General 'Arrested' Following Wagner Rebellion
Russian Gen. Sergei Surovikin has reportedly been arrested in connection with the short-lived Wagner rebellion over the weekend, according to multiple reports over the past day.
Facts
- Russian Gen. Sergei Surovikin has reportedly been arrested in connection with the short-lived Wagner rebellion over the weekend, according to multiple reports over the past day.1
- The Moscow Times, who first reported the alleged arrest on Wednesday, cited two anonymous officials from Russia's defense ministry in making the report, with one source stating that the alleged arrest was connected to the actions of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. "Apparently, [Surovikin] chose Prigozhin's side during the uprising," the source said.1
- The other report came from the Financial Times on Thursday. The publication said it spoke to three officials who are familiar with the matter.2
- It comes as the New York Times, citing Western intelligence sources, reported on Wednesday that Surovikin had prior knowledge of the Wagner rebellion. However, the sources said their information could not confirm whether or not Surovikin was personally involved in the plot.3
- Surovikin, who formerly led the Kremlin's campaign in Ukraine before being moved to head Russian aerospace forces, was last seen in public on Saturday. A day earlier, he released a video calling on Wagner to ditch its mutiny attempt.3
- Meanwhile, Russia's defense ministry, alongside other Russian officials, has yet to publicly comment on the reports of the military leader's alleged arrest.1
Sources: 1The Moscow Times, 2Guardian (a), and 3Guardian (b).
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by CNN. As the dust continues to settle after Wagner's rebellion over the weekend, questions will linger on in Russia about its military leadership and whether they are in fact loyal to Russian Pres. Putin. The consequences of this mutiny are far from over.
- Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. Given the events of the last week, no doubt there are many unanswered questions. However, reports that Gen. Surovikin knew of the mutiny beforehand are pure speculation. The Kremlin has nothing to say on this.
.jpg){kind=link}