Gen. Sergei Surovikin (left), the previous commander of Russia’s army operation in Ukraine, has been detained. He’s seen right here final December alongside Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/AFP by way of Getty Images

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Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/AFP by way of Getty Images

Gen. Sergei Surovikin (left), the previous commander of Russia’s army operation in Ukraine, has been detained. He’s seen right here final December alongside Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/AFP by way of Getty Images

Gen. Sergei Surovikin, a senior commander in Russia’s warfare in opposition to Ukraine, has been detained, days after an uprising by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin set off widespread hypothesis about loyalty and schisms inside Moscow’s management.

A U.S. official confirmed Surovikin’s detention to NPR’s Tom Bowman on Thursday, after a Russian media outlet reported the overall had been taken into custody. Few particulars are identified, together with Surovikin’s exact location.

After Prigozhin’s temporary mutiny, information emerged that Surovikin knew upfront concerning the rise up in opposition to Russia’s high protection leaders. That intelligence, which appeared to have been based mostly on intercepts, was described to NPR as “highly sensitive.”

Surovikin’s title surfaced repeatedly as Prigozhin’s Wagner Group forces seized Russia’s southern regional army headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and despatched a army contingent towards Moscow.

The Russian common put out a video within the early hours of Saturday morning, urging Wagner’s mercenaries and leaders to desert their rebellion. His title was then talked about as a potential mediator between Prigozhin and the protection ministry, a role he has previously played.

Surovikin is the commander of Russia’s Aerospace Forces. He led the Russian warfare marketing campaign in Ukraine from October 2022 to January 2023. He beforehand commanded Russian forces in Syria — one other occasion the place he shared a theater of operations with Prigozhin.