The Russian army is known for its penchant for secrecy, but since the failed uprising by the Wagner paramilitary group, the mysteries surrounding them have only increased. The Russian leadership has suffered from great “friction and confusion” since the Wagner mercenary group mutiny, US General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a small group of journalists accompanying him to Asia.
Between rumors of purges, fears of a second uprising and harsh criticism, a look back at what we know from the fate of three generals.
The disappearance of General Surovikin
Considered ruthless, Sergey Surovikin is a veteran of the brutal wars in Chechnya (1999-2009) and Syria. He is one of the iconic commanders of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine, which he led from October 2022 to January 2023. He is also considered to be closely associated with Wagner’s boss Yevgeny Prigoyine, who spared him in his aggressive videos against the Russian General Staff and even said he saw in him “the only man with the star of an army general who knows how to fight.” . But since the rebellion failed, Sergei Surovikin has disappeared.
VIDEO. Who is Sergei Surovikin, the general elected by Putin in October 2022?
His last public appearance dates back to a video from the night of the mutiny in which he violently asked Wagner’s troops to surrender. He is wearing a uniform but no epaulettes, which some observers take as a sign that he has already been arrested.
Because according to the New York Times, which cites American intelligence services, General Sourovikine was informed about the mutiny. He denies the Kremlin and says that the man is officially still in office. But the most diverse rumors circulate, from the arrest to the simple release. On Wednesday, the chairman of Russia’s Duma Defense Committee, Andrei Kartapolov, revived the speculation with cryptic words: Surovikin “is resting, he is not available at the moment,” he claimed.
The dismissal of General Popov
In an audio message released Wednesday night, Major General Ivan Popov claims he was suspended from his duties for “harshly” alerting the high command to the difficulties in Ukraine, particularly the heavy casualties and lack of state support. most modern equipment.
“The Ukrainian forces could not break through our army from the front, and we were hit from behind by our commander-in-chief, who cowardly beheaded the army at the most difficult moment,” he continues, seemingly aiming at the chief of staff. General Gerasimov.
General Ivan Popov. Russian Defense Ministry/Handout via Portal.
According to Telegram channel Gray Zone, which has more than 500,000 subscribers, he actually accused Popov of “disinformation and alarmism” when he heard about the report.
However, Ivan Popov is not just anyone: he leads the Russian 58th Army, considered one of the most valuable in combat and stationed in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region, where it faced Kiev’s counteroffensive.
Moscow doesn’t like to see that dirty linen washed in public: originally intended for a private military talk, the general’s message was broadcast by a deputy after he was reprimanded by a United Russia party official who accused him of accused of turning the argument into a “political spectacle”. .
The death of General Tsokov
Was Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov killed in a July 11 Ukrainian attack on a hotel far from the front lines near Berdyansk, an occupied city in southern Ukraine?
The Russian army is unlikely to confirm the death immediately, but so are Russian public television and pro-Kremlin military bloggers, who are important sources of information in the absence of official comment from Moscow. This repeated death of a general by a targeted attack triggered a volley of criticism. “It’s sad to say, but the quality of enemy reconnaissance is superior to ours,” commented Zapiski Veterana.
Blogger Rybar, followed by 1.2 million subscribers, slammed the Russian high command for doing nothing while knowing about the existence of “sleeping cells” informing Kiev about the occupied territories and the satellite spy capabilities of Ukraine’s western allies. “Everyone knows about it, everyone is informed about it, but no action is taken,” he added.