Lacking Russian common Sergei Surovikin ‘reappears’ in Moscow, photograph suggests
“General Sergei Surovikin is out. Alive, healthy, at home, with his family, in Moscow. Photo taken today,” Ksenia Sobchak wrote in a caption to the image on Telegram.
The authenticity of the photograph – which confirmed a person in sun shades and a cap strolling alongside a lady resembling Mr Surovikin’s spouse, Anne – has not but been verified.
A second report, revealed by outstanding impartial Russian journalist Alexei Venediktov on his Telegram channel, mentioned: “General Surovikin is at home with his family. He is on leave and available to the Defence Ministry.”
But Mr Venediktov offered no pictorial proof.
Various media shops reported that Mr Surovikin had fallen out of favour with the Kremlin following the aborted mutiny by Wagner in June, and that he was being investigated for doable complicity.
State news company RIA mentioned final month he had been eliminated as head of the air drive and his deputy Viktor Afzalov had assumed the job on a short lived foundation.
Mr Surovikin, who gained the nickname “General Armageddon” throughout Russia’s navy intervention in Syria’s civil battle, was briefly in command of Moscow’s battle effort in Ukraine earlier than that position was handed in January to General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the overall workers.
Mr Surovikin was extensively considered by Russian battle commentators as a forceful and succesful determine.
The late Wagner boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led the June mutiny and died in a private jet crash last month, was fiercely important of Russia’s defence institution however spoke extremely of Mr Surovikin, calling him “a man who is not afraid of responsibility”.