Mystery surrounding Russia's top generals after Wagner's failed rebellion

Over two weeks after the failed uprising by the Russian armed group Wagner, the future of the group and senior officers in the Moscow army remains unclear.

Here are the key discussions surrounding three senior generals regarding their fate since the rebellion.

General Sergei Surovikin is considered one of the key leaders in military operations in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion in February 24, 2022.
Surovikin, aged 56, is the commander of the Russian Air Force and a veteran of the Second Chechen War. He also played a significant role during the Russian intervention in Syria, earning him the nickname "the Syrian Butcher."

Speaking about Surovikin in October 2022, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin stated, "Surovikin is a legendary person, born to serve the motherland faithfully."

Surovikin disappeared from the public eye following the brief and unsuccessful Wagner rebellion, which shocked various parts of Russia last month. He was last seen in an unusual video in which Prigozhin called for an end to the rebellion and the retreat of his men.

Citing intelligence sources, The New York Times reported that Surovikin was aware of Prigozhin's plans and may have been arrested.

However, the Kremlin denied the information in the report, but the mystery surrounding the general's fate remains.

This week, Andrei Kartapolov, the chairman of the defense committee in the State Duma, stated that Surovikin is currently resting and cannot be reached.

In an unusual audio message, Ivan Bobov, the commander of the 58th Army based in southern Ukraine, stated this week that he was dismissed after drawing the attention of the Russian military leadership to several issues.
He stated in the audio recording, "I cannot lie," referring to "mass deaths and injuries" among Russian military personnel in Ukraine and the absence of artillery reconnaissance centers.

He also said that senior leaders in Russia betrayed the military.

He added without naming the individuals he was referring to, "We were stabbed in the back by our top leadership, and the army was beheaded treacherously and despicably in the most difficult and tense times."

The 58th Army is involved in the fighting in the Zaporizhia region in southeastern Ukraine.

Gry Zon, a Telegram channel believed to be associated with the Wagner Group and followed by nearly half a million accounts, reported that Bobov was dismissed after speaking with Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and the Commander of Military Operations in Ukraine.

According to the channel, Gerasimov accused Bobov of "misleading and intimidating."

The Russian Telegram channel Ripar, followed by 1.2 million accounts, stated that Bobov enjoys significant support among soldiers, adding that anyone who speaks about problems, especially after the Wagner rebellion, is considered an "enemy."

The channel further stated that the conflict between Bobov and Gerasimov highlights a fundamental idea: the lack of unity within the Russian Armed Forces.

Was Lieutenant General Oleg Tsukov killed this week by a Ukrainian strike on a hotel in the occupied port city of Berdiansk in southeastern Ukraine?

The Ministry of Defense in Moscow maintained silence while the Russian state television and Kremlin-aligned military bloggers claimed that the 51-year-old deputy commander of the Southern Military District was killed as a result of a Kyiv attack using British "Storm Shadow" missiles.

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, several generals and prominent military figures have been killed in combat.

Reports of Tsukov's death sparked a fresh wave of criticism.

The Russian Telegram channel Zapiskey Veterana stated, "It is sad to say, but the enemy's intelligence quality is higher than ours."

The Ripar channel on Telegram criticized senior officers in Moscow for their alleged dereliction of duty, stating that the West helped Ukraine in identifying important Russian targets using satellites in space and "spies on the ground."

It stated, "Everyone knows it, everyone is aware, but no one has taken action."



AFP