U.S. Officials Say Russian General Knew Rebellion Plans of Mercenary Chief.
U.S. Officials Say Russian General Knew Rebellion Plans of Mercenary Chief.
The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitri S. Peskov, delivered a harsh comment in response to the publication of this piece and emphasised on Wednesday that Mr. Putin had the support of both the Russian army and the Russian people.
According to U.S. sources informed on American information on the topic, a senior Russian general was aware of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plans to rebel against Russia’s military leadership in advance, which has raised concerns about the level of support the mercenary leader had within the upper ranks.
Prigozhin’s actions last weekend posed the greatest significant threat to President Vladimir V. Putin in his 23 years in office, according to the officials, who claimed they are investigating if Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the former senior Russian commander in Ukraine, was involved in their planning.
According to commentators, respected military chief General Surovikin assisted in fortifying defences along the front lines during Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year. Although he lost his position as supreme commander in January, he continued to have a say in how the war was conducted and is still well-liked by the troops.
According to American officials, there are indications that additional Russian generals may have backed Mr. Prigozhin’s attempt to seize control of the Defence Ministry through force. According to current and former U.S. officials, Mr. Prigozhin would not have started his insurrection if he didn’t think others in positions of authority would support him.
If General Surovikin was involved in last weekend’s events, it would be the most recent instance of the infighting that has plagued Russia’s military leadership ever since Mr. Putin’s war in Ukraine began. It could also indicate a wider rift between Mr. Prigozhin’s supporters and Mr. Putin’s two top military advisers, Gen. Valery V. Gerasimov and Sergei K. Shoigu.
Officials claim that Mr. Putin must now decide if he thinks General Surovikin assisted Mr. Prigozhin and how to react.
The domestic Russian intelligence agency announced on Tuesday that it was dropping the criminal allegations of “armed mutiny” against Mr. Prigozhin and members of his unit. However, authorities and observers say that if Mr. Putin discovers evidence that General Surovikin aided Mr. Prigozhin more directly, he will be forced to dismiss him from his command.
According to some former officials, Mr. Putin might decide to retain General Surovikin if he determines that the general was aware of Mr. Prigozhin’s plans but did not assist them. According to observers, Mr. Putin appears set on blaming only Mr. Prigozhin for the rebellion for the time being.
According to Alexander Baunov, senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre, “Putin is hesitant to change people.” “But it might change if the secret service puts documents on Putin’s desk and if some documents implicate Surovikin.”
Senior American officials speculate that Mr. Prigozhin’s continued survival after taking a key Russian military base and directing an armed march on Moscow may be due to a partnership between General Surovikin and Mr. Prigozhin.
To discuss sensitive intelligence, American officials and others contacted for this article agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. They emphasised how much of what the US and its partners know is still in the early stages. Officials from the United States have refrained from openly mentioning the uprising for fear of supporting Vladimir Putin’s claim that the West was behind it.
However, American officials are interested in discrediting General Surovikin’s reputation because they see him as more capable and ruthless than other members of the leadership. His resignation would surely be advantageous to Ukraine, whose military are waging a new counteroffensive with support from the West in an effort to reclaim territory taken by Moscow.A request for comment from the Russian Embassy was ignored.
In a video that he released on Friday, General Surovikin denounced the insurrection and asked Russian troops in Ukraine to hold their positions and refrain from joining it.
In a Telegram chat, General Surovikin pleaded with the user to cease. “The enemy is simply waiting for the domestic political climate in our country to deteriorate.”
That message, according to a former official, was more akin to “a hostage video.” The former official claimed that General Surovikin’s body language indicated that he was uncomfortable criticising a former ally who shared his opinion of the Russian military leadership.
Other indications of conflicting allegiance in the senior levels were also there. Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev, a different Russian general, issued his own video appeal and referred to any measures taken against the Russian state as “stabs in the back of the country and president.” Hours later, though, he reappeared in another video, speaking with Mr. Prigozhin in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, where Wagner fighters had taken control of military installations.
Former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul stated in a phone interview that “there were just too many weird things that happened that, in my mind, suggest there was collusion that we have not yet figured out.”
