Rumors are abounding about the fate assigned to this contingent of Russian operatives in Ukraine. He was one of the few senior army officers who benefited from the leniency of the paramilitary group boss.
Where is Sergey Surovikhin? A huge mystery hangs over the fate of this senior officer in the Russian army, and rumors about him abound on social networks. During Vladimir Putin’s address to the armed forces on Tuesday, June 27, after stopping Wagner’s march to Moscow, the general remained silent. The fate of Sergueï Sourovikine, who was praised by Evguéni Prigojine, has been confirmed on Wednesday as he was informed earlier about the paramilitary plan. The New York Times And this Wall Street Journal. of “Speculation and Gossip”The Kremlin responded.
Several media outlets reported that the general had been arrested. Actually, there is nothing to confirm this. “My sources in the Ministry of Defense and the FSB deny that Sergei Churovikhin was imprisoned.Roman Anin, Russian journalist and founder of the independent media Important Stories, explains to franceinfo. “However, they confirm that he was interrogated before he was released.” The Kremlin, for its part, is content to refer to the Defense Ministry. “The probable cause of action is that he is not necessarily suspected of complicity, but that he may have known some element of Wagner.”nuance Russian political scientist Tatiana Stanovaya, franceinfo interview.
At this point, there is only one certainty. Saurovikin did not appear again since Saturday morning, the day of the uprising. With a grave and defeated face, he asked Wagner to abandon his march towards Moscow. “Before it’s too late, we must obey the will and order of the elected president of Russia.”, he pleaded in simple fatigues, not in his favour. Was this statement voluntary or was he forced to record it? Both options are debated by the audience. Ministry of Defence, Who published these pictures?No details were given about the location and circumstances of the shooting.
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If rumors are spreading so quickly on his account, it is because of the main face of the battle of Sergei Churovikin. Between October and January, he actually led a group of Russian forces engaged in Ukraine, before being demoted to the rank of adjutant under the command of Valery Kurasimov. In particular, the general had to manage the military evacuation of the large city of Kherson, which had been abandoned to the Ukrainians. This episode is the biggest disappointment the Russian military has suffered since the beginning of the conflict. But Evgeny Prigozhin applauded the move “The Fair Man”, he continued to crush the military command for several months. The general is one of those rare officers who evokes Wagner’s sympathy.
From one attempted coup to another
Ironically, Sergei Churovikhin participated in a military coup attempt in 1991. A convoy of armored vehicles led by him later broke through a barricade set up by demonstrators in Moscow, killing three people. He would spend seven months in prison before being pardoned by President Boris Yeltsin. A veteran of the civil war in Tajikistan in the 1990s, he also participated in the Second Chechen War (1999-2000). But Serguei Churovikhin distinguished himself above all as the leader of the Russian operation in Syria, which earned him the nickname. “The Butcher of Aleppo”.
Largely stationed in the country, Wagner’s units maintained excellent relations with Sergei Surovikhin, head of the Military Police Committee. In 2017, he received an honorary paramilitary membership card Document Center Information. The project, founded by Russian dissident Mikhail Khodorkovsky, claims to have the names of around thirty officers and officials in the case. Later, in February 2018, between 100 and 300 Wagner fighters were killed by US forces in Deir es-Zor (Syria). Evguéni Prigojine accused Minister Sergei Shoigu of leading the militants into a trap and defeating the sworn enemy.
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The mercenaries wanted Churovikhin, the commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces since October 2017. Already targeted by sanctions, “Team Wagner relies heavily on the capabilities of the Russian Air Force” To ensure the movement of its logistics and its mercenaries, explains Franceinfo Gleb Irisov, a lieutenant in the air force and a reporter for the TASS agency, today in exile. “So it was very useful for Yevgeny Prigozhin to have direct contact with the supreme commander of these units.” Without the material support of the military, mercenaries would have found it difficult to carry out their foreign operations.
“They have a lot in common.”
Sergei Surovikin provided the aircraft and the Russian military bases Chkalovsky and Seshcha. Then, from the spring of 2020, it supplied Wagner with combat helicopters, specifically intended for Libya. These two men “Seemed to be good partners in their discussions, if not friends.”In 2019 and 2020, says Gleb Irisov, a member of the team on flights that combine officer and mercenary forces. “They have a lot in common, ideologically and behaviorally.”. It wasn’t carpet bombing that earned Sergei Surovikhin the nickname “General Armageddon.” “Chaos Reigned at Headquarters”due to “His aggressive and rude nature”.
In recent months, Sergei Surovikin has been a link between Wagner’s group and the regular army. In February, when he complained that he was no longer receiving ammunition, Yevgeny Prigozhin pointed out that his men continued to be supplied when the general ordered. Three months later, the paramilitary demanded freedom of action in Bagmouth, and Surovikin announced that he was responsible for cooperation with the ministry, which the latter did not confirm. On June 11, finally, Evguéni Prigojine He was still singing A compliment “A wise and experienced commander”.
Compliments that sound like the kiss of death today. for that Financial TimesThe “Pressures” Rather than suspicions of treason against Sergei Churovykin, it had to do with his closeness to Yevgeny Prigozhin. “I am sure that Vladimir Putin was informed about this role of mediator between Surovikhin and the military and he gave his agreement.Tatiana Stanovaya believes in her role. “However, the general could not perform miracles and supply the quantity of ammunition that Wagner requested”who directed his anger at Minister Shoigu.
How will Vladimir Putin react?
“There are no doubt sympathizers of the Wagner group at the lower and middle levels Regular Army Troops”, the political scientist continues. But she rejects the idea of a “Wagnerized” general as a weak link in the army. Despite considerable differences of opinion with the Shoigu-Kvarasimov pair, “Surovikin and command are completely loyal to Putin”. There were space forces “The only branch of the army that directly opposed the group” At the time of his rebellion, says Gustav Kresel, a military expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations. German media quoted Deutsche Welle. Several aircraft, including combat helicopters, were destroyed by the mercenaries.
Its a different trend “Free Electron” From the army, in the words of Gleb Iriso, an epilogue has yet to be found. General Case, Gold Medal of the Hero of the Russian Federation, In any case, there is renewed uncertainty about possible reorganizations in the military. Some Russian military bloggers, including Mikhail Svinchuk, former press secretary of the Ministry of Defense, requested The neutral commanders had already been purged for their alleged inaction during the Wagner march.
Again, opinions differ. “For Vladimir Putin, treason is the ultimate sin”, emphasizes the Roman anin. This may worry everyone in Evguéni Prigoijne’s circle. So that’s it “Repressions can target his partners, friends and supporters in the military and elites”. Tatiana Stanovaya agreesMinister Sergei Shoigu may be desperate to fend off internal opposition Surovikin explains “like a traitor” To the Russian President. But he remembers that Vladimir Putin is always there “Reluctance to launch crackdownsvsar He likes to solve problems in the shadows”.
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