Washington: Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of the Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, is thought to have been detained days after mercenaries staged a revolt inside Russia, according to US and Ukrainian intelligence assessments, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Due to their lack of authorization to speak publicly about the situation, the individuals spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The murky world of Kremlin politics and the unpredictability following the uprising are reflected in the fact that it is unclear whether Surovikin is charged or where he is being held.
However, his alleged detention comes just days after mercenaries from the Wagner Group seized control of the military command in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, and appeared to be making their way towards Moscow.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, has praised Surovikin while criticising the military leadership of the nation and has advocated for his appointment as the General Staff chief to succeed Gen. Valery Gerasimov. According to a report in this week's New York Times, US officials think Surovikin was aware of Prigozhin's plans to stage the uprising in advance.
Both the Kremlin and the White House declined to comment.
Longtime Prigozhin associate Surovikin hasn't been seen since he posted a video calling for the rebellion to end at its beginning.
Surovikin, who is also the head of the Russian air force, was detained, according to a Russian military blogger, the Moscow Times, and the Financial Times.
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There has been a great deal of speculation that some senior military figures may have worked with Prigozhin and may now be punished for the mutiny that briefly sent a march towards Moscow almost unopposed and that Putin has referred to as treason and a "stab in the back."
Surovikin and his close lieutenants haven't been in touch with their families for three days, according to Alexei Venediktov, the former head of the Ekho Moskvy, a well-known independent radio station that was shut down by authorities after Moscow invaded Ukraine. Venediktov stopped short of claiming that Surovikin was being held captive, however.
According to Rybar, another well-known military messaging service run by a former Defence Ministry press officer, a purge in the ranks was in progress as investigators looked into claims that some may have sided with Prigozhin.
Since both Surovikin and Prigozhin were active in Syria, where Russia has been conducting military operations since 2015 to support Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and aid him in regaining territory after a devastating civil war, the two have been linked.
Before last week's mutiny, in which he demanded their removal, Prigozhin had hurled profanity-laced insults at Shoigu and the head of the general staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, but he has consistently praised Surovikin and suggested naming him to succeed Gerasimov. But as soon as the uprising started, Surovikin made a video pleading for it to end.
The New York Times earlier this week reported that US officials thought Surovikin knew about the mutiny in advance. In response to a question regarding that report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed it as "speculations and gossip."
Peskov declined to comment on whether Surovikin had been detained on Thursday.
When the Associated Press questioned him about whether the president still had confidence in Surovikin, he responded that Putin collaborates with the defence minister and the chief of the General Staff and deferred inquiries about officers to the Defence Ministry. He also directed the ministry to address any additional queries regarding Surovikin and his situation.
In response to the question of whether Putin believes it is necessary to fire military officials who had connections to Prigozhin, Peskov stated, "The issue isn't my prerogative, and I have nothing to say on that."
The bald, intimidating Surovikin was credited with fortifying Russian defences after Moscow withdrew from significant portions of Ukrainian territory last autumn amid a swift counteroffensive by Kyiv. Surovikin earned the moniker "General Armageddon" by Western media for his brutal tactics in Syria and Ukraine.
Surovikin, who was appointed by Putin in the autumn to command Russian forces in Ukraine, oversaw the bombing campaign that targeted Ukraine's power plants and other crucial infrastructure but was unable to cut off the country's electricity supply.
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Putin replaced him in January with Gerasimov, giving the head of the General Staff command of the Russian campaign in Ukraine. Surovikin was downgraded to Gerasimov's assistant.
After the failed mutiny, Gerasimov's own future is also unknown. Shoigu attended several events where Putin was present, but Gerasimov mysteriously did not.
In the early stages of Ukraine's most recent counteroffensive, a purge could undermine troop morale, disrupt the military chain of command, and give Kiev an opportunity to retake more territory.
