MP reveals information about Russian general missing after Wagner rebellion

Russian MPs say General Surovikin, deputy commander of Russia's operation in Ukraine, is "on vacation", having not been seen since the Wagner rebellion.

"Mr. Surovikin is resting. He is not present at the moment," Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the Defense Committee of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament), said on July 12.

Mr Surovikin last appeared in public in a video calling on Wagner to stop the rebellion on June 24.

Mr Surovikin is said to have good relations with Wagner and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. Wagner has repeatedly praised General Surovikin, while frequently criticizing Russian defense officials, especially Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

In October 2022, Surovikin was appointed as the first Russian commander-in-chief of all troops in Ukraine. In January, Russia announced that Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff, would lead the operation, with Surovikin as his deputy.

General Sergey Surovikin in a photo taken in Russia and released in December 2022. Photo: Reuters — General Sergey Surovikin in a photo taken in Russia and released in December 2022. Photo: *Reuters*

According to the WSJ , US officials assessed that General Surovikin appeared "sympathetic to Prigozhin's goals," but it was unclear whether he supported or helped the rebellion.

The New York Times also cited US intelligence sources, saying that General Surovikin knew in advance about Wagner's rebellion plan and that he was being investigated by the Russian government to see if he had assisted this force.

Some sources said last month that Mr Surovikin had been arrested. The Kremlin declined to comment on the matter.

Thousands of Wagner gunmen organized a rebellion on June 24, after tycoon Prigozhin accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu of directing the raid on the corporation's barracks, causing large casualties, and demanded that Minister Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov be handed over to him so that he could "restore justice".

The Russian military denied Prigozhin's accusations, while the Kremlin called Wagner's leader a "traitor" and rejected the claim.

The rebellion ended on the night of June 24, when the two sides reached an agreement brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for Wagner to return to his barracks. Prigozhin was granted immunity from prosecution and left Russia for Belarus.

Boss Wagner said on June 26 that their activities were "protests, not aimed at overthrowing the government", but wanted Minister Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov to be dismissed.

The Kremlin said on July 10 that Putin met with Prigozhin and Wagner commanders on June 29 in Moscow. Putin listened to the Wagner commanders' explanations and offered them options for jobs after Prigozhin arrived in Belarus. The Wagner commanders stressed that they were loyal supporters of the Kremlin boss.