General Surovikin gained notoriety as “General Armageddon” during the war in Syria, but was replaced as head of the Russian Air Force in August – shortly after the Wagner mutiny.
Russian general Sergei Surovikin, who apparently fell out of favor following the Wagner mercenary uprising in June, was reportedly spotted again for the first time. Well-known TV presenter Ksenia Sobchak on Monday published a photo that appeared to show the general and wrote: “General Sergei Surovikin is outside. I live, healthy, at home, with my family, in Moscow. The photo was taken today.
Prominent journalist Alexei Venediktov also wrote on the short message service Telegram: “General Surovikin is at home with his family. He is on leave and at the disposal of the Department of Defense.”
Many question marks over Surovikin’s whereabouts
Surovikin was replaced as head of the Russian Air Force by Colonel General Viktor Afsalov in August. Surovikin, who earned the nickname “General Armageddon” while deploying Russian troops in the civil war in Syria, disappeared from the scene shortly after the revolt of Wagner’s mercenaries. During the Wagner riot on June 23 and 24, he appeared in a video and asked Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin to quit. However, he left an uncomfortable impression and did not wear any military insignia.
According to media reports, after the uprising there were investigations into whether the general was involved in the mutiny. Consequently, Surovikin would have been under house arrest. In October last year, the general became commander-in-chief of Russian troops in Ukraine. But in January, command was transferred to Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov, and Surovikin became his deputy. There is no reliable information on the background of the developments.