Russian Gen. Sergei Surovikin, who vanished from public view after he was accused of having advance knowledge of last month’s violent Wagner Group uprising, is “resting” and “not available” right now, according to a top lawmaker. Andrei Kartapolov, head of the State Duma’s Defense Committee, made the comments Wednesday to a Russian reporter who inquired about the missing general’s whereabouts.
Speculation has swirled about Surovikin’s status in recent weeks, as a flurry of reports have emerged claiming he was being interrogated and possibly imprisoned over his close ties with the Wagner Group and its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and his possible support for the armed mutiny.
Meanwhile, the independent outlet Verstka on Wednesday cited an unnamed source close to law enforcement who claimed Surovikin was being held in isolation by counterintelligence agents. Surovikin, the deputy commander of Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, is reportedly being questioned over his suspected involvement in the rebellion, but he has not been charged with anything.
