The Kremlin has made an arrest of a top Russian military general in connection to the Wagner group’s rebellion which was halted by the leader of the mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, on Saturday a short distance from Moscow. The deputy commander of the joint Russian forces in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin has been apprehended, following a period of time where he was reported to be missing after being last seen in a “hostage-style” video calling off the march on Saturday.
Speculation Surrounding General Sergei Surovikin
Sources close to the Defense Ministry apparatus reported to independent media details surrounding the high-profile arrest. While Russian defense officials have not commented, one source said:
In the context of Prigogine [an alternate spelling of Prigozhin]. Apparently, he [Surovikin] chose the side [of Prigozhin during the rebellion] and they grabbed him by the balls.
In response to being asked about the whereabouts of the arrested general, the source responded:
We don’t even comment on this information through internal channels.
Speculation about Surovikin’s arrest was first reported by military blogger Vladimir Romanov. He suggested that the general was arrested on Sunday, the day following the Wagner group’s uprising. Romanov also stated that Surovikin is being held at the pre-trial detention center in Lefortovo.
Another source close to the defense ministry stated the general’s motive was to gain power, saying:
There, the story with him was not OK. For power. I can’t say anything more.
American media citing U.S. intelligence sources have reported that the general did know of Wagner’s plans ahead of time and that U.S. intelligence seeks to determine if he was working cooperatively with Wagner in the coup attempt.
The Russian source assessed that the general’s behavior in the video footage may have left an impression that Surovikin was involved, saying:
He did not behave very submissively when he was given the task of reading the text on camera and sorting it out, he was too daring to the leadership.
Surovikin maintained a close relationship with Prigozhin and was the point of contact between Wagner and the military establishment in Moscow, collaborating with the mercenary group on the battlefield of Ukraine. He joined Prigozhin in expressing frustrations against other military officials, leading to a demotion by Putin in January.
Prigozhin reportedly planned to capture two other top military officials in his coup, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of Russia’s general staff. Prigozhin has criticized them for their handling of the Ukraine invasion.
Prigozhin’s Exile
As non-prosecution agreements are being revoked and the Kremlin’s investigations continue into the incident, Prigozhin has arrived in Belarus, where he was exiled as part of the brokered agreement to end the insurgency. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told state media on Tuesday:
I see that Prigozhin is already flying on this plane. Yes, indeed, he is in Belarus today.
Images taken by satellite from global monitoring company BlackSky depict two planes associated with Prigozhin landing at a Belarusian airbase near Minsk, the Belarusian capital, on Tuesday morning.
U.S. Sanctions and Extradition
The United States Department of Treasury moved to impose sanctions on Wagner’s activities in Africa. In a press release issued Tuesday, the department wrote:
Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four companies and one individual connected to the violent Russian military group PMC Wagner (Wagner Group) and its founder and owner Yevgeniy Prigozhin, previously sanctioned by the United States, the European Union (EU), Canada, and the United Kingdom (U.K.).
The Wagner Group exploits insecurity around the world, committing atrocities and criminal acts that threaten the safety, good governance, prosperity, and human rights of nations, as well as exploiting their natural resources. The targeted entities in the Central African Republic (CAR), United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Russia have engaged in illicit gold dealings to fund the Wagner Group to sustain and expand its armed forces, including in Ukraine and Africa, while the targeted individual has been central to activities of Wagner Group units in Mali.
The State Department held a press briefing on Monday seeking Prigozhin to be extradited if he appears in a nation that has an agreement with the U.S. Currently, neither Russia nor Belarus has such extradition agreements.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said:
We would obviously like to see Wagner disbanded and for the group to cease its activities in Ukraine and around the world.
Prigozhin is under indictment stemming from the Mueller probe into 2016 election interference. Miller wouldn’t respond to a question regarding if efforts to apprehend Prigozhin are underway. Miller said:
Well, we don’t have an extradition treaty with Russia or Belarus. I’m not going to speak to law enforcement matters. But certainly, I would expect that were he to appear in a country with which we have an extradition treaty, we would seek to enforce our indictments.
Maneuvering Militarists
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made some military shakeups. Viktor Zolotov, who used to be Putin’s bodyguard, reported that Russia’s National Guard, which he leads, will receive tanks and heavy artillery in the wake of Wagner’s mutiny. The National Guard is expected to play a larger role in the Ukrainian war theater. Zolotov blames “Western intelligence services” for the attempted coup.
NATO member states are sounding the alarm on a potential Wagner army buildup in Belarus. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is ready to defend itself against any threat. Following a Tuesday meeting in The Hague, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said:
If Wagner deploys its serial killers in Belarus, all neighboring countries face even bigger danger of instability.
In a post-insurrection address, Putin gave Wagner’s fighters a choice of relocating there or joining Russia’s Ministry of Defense.
On Sunday, Putin said:
Now you have a chance to continue your service to Russia by signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense or any law enforcement agencies or go back to your families. Those who wish to will be able to go to Belarus. I will keep my promise.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was joined by leaders of seven European member-states ahead of the Alliance’s Summit in Vilnius. The meeting was co-hosted with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and attended by heads of government from Albania, Belgium, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Romania.
In related news, the Biden administration announced another aid package for Ukraine on Tuesday. This is the 41st use of drawdown authority since the war began. Artillery, tanks, armored personnel carriers, mine clearing equipment, and more will come from US military stockpiles to the tune of $500 million.