Russia purges top brass after Prigozhin's mutiny

This is reported by Meduza, citing the WSJ.

It is noted that the FSB began the detentions a few hours after Prigozhin's mutiny. The officers were detained for interrogation and "purging the ranks," an anonymous source said.

The commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces and deputy commander of Russian troops in Ukraine, Sergei Surovikin, is among the detainees. Sources say that he is being held in Moscow, but not in a pre-trial detention center, where he is constantly being interrogated.

An anonymous source said that Surovikin knew about the mutiny plans but did not participate in it. No charges have been filed against the commander, and it is noted that he may be released when Putin decides.

Sergei Surovikin has not been seen since he recorded an appeal to the Wagner PMC mercenaries on the morning of June 24, calling on them to "stop".

What is known about Surovikin

General Sergei Surovikin has been the head of the occupying Russian forces in Ukraine since early October 2022. In January, he was removed from this position. Surovikin is also called "General Armageddon" because of his criminal orders to bomb Syria.

Earlier, The New York Times, citing US officials familiar with the intelligence, wrote that Surovikin knew in advance about Prigozhin's plans to launch an armed rebellion against Russia's military leadership. Now the US authorities are trying to find out whether Surovikin helped plan the rebellion.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the publication and said it was speculation.

"Now there will be a lot of different speculations, gossip and so on around these events. I think this is one such example," he said.

After the unsuccessful mutiny of the Wagner PMC leader Prigozhin, the media reported that Surovikin had been arrested. He allegedly supported Prigozhin, although the Russian general recorded a video calling on the Wagner soldiers to stop.

The commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces and deputy commander of Russian troops in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin, could be arrested after the failed coup by Wagner PMC financier Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Financial Times reported on June 29.

Instead, Surovikin's daughter Veronika denied the general's arrest in a commentary to a Russian propaganda outlet.

According to British intelligence on July 5, the information about Surovikin's arrest has not yet been confirmed.

Later, a representative of the press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Andriy Yusov, said that Sergei Surovikin was interrogated in Russia to find out about his involvement in the Wagner PMC mutiny.