A notorious Russian general who has not been seen in public since a failed mutiny by the mercenary Wagner Group may have been arrested, according to UK intelligence.
Sergei Surovikin, commander-in-chief of Russian aerospace forces and deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, has a “long association” with the group, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
The whereabouts of Colonel General Yunus-bek Yevkurov, Russia’s deputy defence minister, is also unknown as the fallout from last month’s coup attempt continues.
The MoD said the mutiny “has worsened existing fault lines within Russia’s national security community”.
Months of tension between Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and Vladimir Putin came to a head when the mercenary group seized the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and marched on Moscow.
However, a deal was brokered which saw Prigozhin call off his assault and reportedly agree to live in neighbouring Belarus.
In their latest update on the war in Ukraine, the MoD said Surovikin – nicknamed “General Armageddon” for his aggression during past offensives in Syria – “has not been seen in public since the Wagner Group mutiny”.
They added: “Meanwhile, deputy defence minister Colonel General Yunus-bek Yevkurov was notably absent from a televised appearance by the Ministry of Defence’s leadership on 3 July 2023.
“Reports of Surovikin’s arrest cannot be confirmed, but authorities will likely be suspicious of his long association with Wagner dating back to his service in Syria from 2017.
“Similarly, Yevkurov was filmed talking to Yevgeny Prigozhin during the group’s uncontested take-over of Rostov-on-Don.
“Although largely known in the West by his brutal reputation, Surovikin is one of the more respected senior officers within the Russian military; any official sanction against him is likely to be divisive.
“The suspicion that has potentially fallen on senior serving officers highlights how Prigozhin’s abortive insurrection has worsened existing fault lines within Russia’s national security community.”
Surovikin was said to have advanced knowledge of the Wagner mutiny, according to a New York Times report.
He was last seen when he popped up in a video calling for Prigozhin to stop the mutiny, apparently looking exhausted.
Reuters said it was “unclear if he was speaking under duress”.
US officials told Reuters that Surovikin supported Prigozhin, but it remains unclear if he aided the rebellion.