Former commander of Russia’s forces in Ukraine, Gen. Sergei Surovikin, has been removed from his position as Chief of Russia’s Air Force. This action by the Kremlin is seen as a response to the armed rebellion led by mercenary warlord Yevgeny V. Prigozhin in June. President Vladimir V. Putin’s cautious crisis-management style is evident in the low-key nature of this crackdown, which is the most drastic threat to his rule in 23 years.
Following the mutiny, some Wagner fighters have relocated to Belarus, where they are allegedly training Belarusian troops. Others have remained active in countries such as the Central African Republic and Mali, where they have supported authoritarian leaders loyal to Moscow. Prigozhin, in a video message released on Monday, hinted that he was in Africa, dressed in fatigues and holding an assault rifle, stating that Wagner was making Russia greater and Africa more free.
Since the rebellion, General Surovikin has not been seen in public, and his whereabouts remain unknown. In July, it was claimed that he was “taking a rest,” according to Andrei Kartapolov, the head of the defense committee of Russia’s lower house of Parliament.
According to RIA Novosti, a Russian state news agency, General Surovikin has now been relieved of his post. Col. Gen. Viktor Afzalov has been named as the acting commander. Russian news outlet RBC reported that Surovikin has been transferred to another job and is currently on a short vacation. Analysts have referred to General Surovikin as “General Armageddon” due to his ruthless tactics. However, it is his connections to Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary group that likely led to his demotion.
U.S. officials believe that General Surovikin had advance knowledge of Prigozhin’s rebellion. After the mutiny began, a video of the general calling on the Wagner fighters to stand down was quickly released by the Russian authorities. Rumors among Russia’s military bloggers, some with close ties to Russian officials, suggest that General Surovikin has been under house arrest since the failed mutiny.
Although General Surovikin helped stabilize Russia’s war effort in Ukraine during his three-month command, his replacement, General Afzalov, has been involved in planning and organizing the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Suspicions that Afzalov had replaced Surovikin arose when he presented an air force report to General Valery V. Gerasimov, Russia’s top military officer, in official video footage.
This change in leadership comes as the Kremlin takes action against those connected to the rebellion, demonstrating President Putin’s cautious crisis-management approach. The full extent of the consequences for those involved in the mutiny remains to be seen.