Top Russian General Goes Missing After U.S. Intel Suggests He Knew of Wagner Mutiny Beforehand

One of the top generals in the Russian army and former head of the Ukrainian war invasion has not been seen since Saturday as U.S. intelligence reported he knew about the Wagner Group uprising before it took place, according to The Guardian.

General Sergey Surovikin serves as the head of the Russian aerospace division and is a known ally of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. According to the New York Times, U.S. officials believe Surovikin was actively involved in the plot to overthrow the Russian military leadership before it was aborted over the weekend.

Amidst the fallout of the mutiny, Surovikin at the time came out against the Wagner group and pledged his support for Putin’s regime.

“We fought together with you, took risks, we won together,” Surovikin said in a video posted to social media on Friday evening. “We are of the same blood, we are warriors. I urge you to stop. The enemy is just waiting for the internal political situation to escalate in our country.”

The Deputy Commander of the Joint Group of Forces General of the Army Sergei Surovikin to the leadership, commanders and fighters of the Wagner PMC

▫️’I have just come from the frontline, where our troops, our commanders, our soldiers, our fighters, volunteers are carrying out… pic.twitter.com/A44Bia9qpB

— Urantian Lady (@UrantianL) June 24, 2023

Last week, Wagner forces left Ukraine and captured the city of Rostov before gathering forces to march on Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin released a statement at the time condemning their actions and vowing to bring the coup’s leaders to justice.

However, Wagner chief Prigozhin withdrew his troops on the road to the Russian capital after securing a peace deal with Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko. The mutiny represented the biggest threat to Putin’s control of Russia since he took power over two decades ago.

Additionally, the Wall Street Journal reported that Surovikin’s support for the mutiny may have waivered, which may have played a role in the aborted march on Moscow. The known friendship between Surovikin and Prigozhin has led many to speculate that the Russian security services are investigating the general.