London: General Sergei Surovikin, the commander of the Russian air force, has not been seen in public since overnight on Friday when he issued a video appeal to Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin to cease his rebellion, as per a media report.
Rumours about his whereabouts — and his potential role in the short-lived insurrection — have been swirling in recent days, CNN reported.
On Wednesday, the Russian-language version of the Moscow Times cited two anonymous defence sources as saying that Surovikin had been arrested in relation to the failed mutiny.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that he is unable to answer questions about the speculation around Surovikin, and referred journalists’ inquiries to the Russian defence ministry.
The video released last Friday has raised more questions than answers about Surovikin’s whereabouts and state of mind. He appears in the footage unshaven and with a halting delivery, apparently reading from a script.
A popular blogger going by the name Rybar noted on Wednesday that “Surovikin has not been seen since Saturday [and] it is not known for certain where ‘General Armageddon’ [a nickname Surovikin was given by the Russian press] is. There is a version that he is under interrogation”, CNN reported.
Russian journalist Alexev Venediktov — former editor of the now shuttered Echo Moscow radio station — also claimed on Wednesday that Surovikin had not been in contact with his family for three days.
Other Russian commentators have suggested the general is not in custody.
Meanwhile, former Russian Member of Parliament, Sergey Markov, said on Telegram that Surovikin had attended a meeting in Rostov on Thursday, although he did not say how he knew this, CNN reported.
“Surovikin appeared at a meeting in Rostov,” he said, adding, “As I wrote the above, the rumours about the arrest of Surovikin are dispersing the topic of rebellion in order to promote political instability in Russia.”
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