Russia’s ‘General Armageddon’ who vanished after Prigozhin mutiny is ‘pictured’

The as soon as distinguished Russian general who disappeared from the public eye within the wake of the short-lived mutiny led by warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin in June has been pictured for the primary time in additional than two months, a journalist has claimed.

Sergei Surovikin, who earned the nickname “General Armageddon” for his iron fist and brutal army campaigns in Chechnya and Syria, was seemingly noticed in {a photograph} shared on social media.

TV host and journalist Ksenia Sobchak revealed on her Telegram account a snap exhibiting a person carrying a pair of blue trousers and a shirt in addition to a pair of sun shades and a hat, which made it tough to correctly determine him.

Walking alongside a girl resembling General Surovikin’s spouse, Anna, the person seemed to be strolling on a pavement whereas partitions lined with creepers may very well be seen within the background.

Ms Sobchak captioned the image – which was then shared by Russian news outlet Ostorozhno on Telegram – by writing: “General Sergei Surovikin is out. Alive, healthy, at home, with his family, in Moscow. Photo taken today.”

The veracity of the photograph couldn’t be instantly verified by Express.co.uk.

This image emerged hours after, throughout a press convention, Defence Minister Shoigu refused to reply whether or not an investigation in opposition to the final was underway.

General Surovikin was final seen on June 23, when he recorded a video message wherein he urged members of the mercenary Wagner Group to obey Vladimir Putin‘s management and finish their rebellion.

Mr Prigozhin, who died in a aircraft crash on August 23, had launched a mutiny in opposition to the Russian defence management on June 23, which noticed a few of his males marching in direction of Moscow earlier than being ordered by the warlord to U-turn as a part of a deal struck by Belarusian chief Alexander Lukashenko.

General Surovikin, who disappeared from the general public eye regardless of being on the time the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, had hyperlinks with Mr Prigozhin.

Days after the tried coup, the US intelligence reportedly claimed the distinguished official had prior data of the rebellion. At the time, the Kremlin dismissed the assessment as “gossip”.

General Surovikin was identified to be appreciated by Prigozhin, who praised the officer as a “legendary figure” and a person “born to serve his motherland” after he had been appointed in October 2022 as commander of the joint group of Russian forces preventing in Ukraine.

At the start of this yr, the final was changed by Valery Gerasimov, one of many targets of Prigozhin’s vitriolic assaults.

While the Kremlin remained tight-lipped on General Surovikin’s whereabouts, The Moscow Times reported in late June the final had been arrested.

Other stories claimed he had been positioned underneath home arrest, interrogated and even incarcerated within the infamous Lefortovo jail.

In late August, Russian state news company RIA cited an nameless supply saying the final had been relieved from his submit as chief of the Russian Air and Space Forces.

RBC news outlet additionally claimed General Surovikin had misplaced his function as deputy commander of Russia‘s forces in Ukraine.