{"id":8728,"date":"2023-06-29T14:48:56","date_gmt":"2023-06-29T13:48:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=8728"},"modified":"2023-06-29T15:04:22","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T14:04:22","slug":"russias-high-ranking-generals-vanish-from-public-eye-following-unsuccessful-wagner-uprising","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/analysis\/defense\/russias-high-ranking-generals-vanish-from-public-eye-following-unsuccessful-wagner-uprising\/2023\/06\/29\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia’s High-Ranking Generals Vanish from Public Eye Following Unsuccessful Wagner Uprising"},"content":{"rendered":"

MOSCOW (Reuters)-After<\/span> a<\/span> failed<\/span> mercenary<\/span> uprising<\/span> aimed<\/span> at<\/span> overthrowing<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> top<\/span> leadership,<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> top<\/span> generals<\/span> have<\/span> disappeared<\/span> from<\/span> public<\/span> view,<\/span> sparking<\/span> questions<\/span> and<\/span> speculation.<\/span> President<\/span> Vladimir<\/span> Putin<\/span> has<\/span> aggressively<\/span> asserted<\/span> his<\/span> authority<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> face<\/span> of<\/span> reports<\/span> of<\/span> his<\/span> possible<\/span> arrest,<\/span> but<\/span> his<\/span> arrest<\/span> has<\/span> yet<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> confirmed.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Russia’s<\/span> top<\/span> general,<\/span> General<\/span> Valery<\/span> Gerasimov,<\/span> has<\/span> not<\/span> appeared<\/span> in<\/span> public<\/span> or<\/span> on<\/span> state<\/span> television<\/span> since<\/span> the<\/span> rebellion<\/span> was<\/span> crushed<\/span> on<\/span> Saturday.<\/span> A<\/span> rebellion<\/span> led<\/span> by<\/span> mercenary<\/span> commander<\/span> Evgeny<\/span> Prigozhin<\/span> demanded<\/span> the<\/span> extradition<\/span> of<\/span> Gerasimov.<\/span> Moreover,<\/span> no<\/span> press<\/span> release<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> Defense<\/span> Ministry<\/span> since<\/span> June<\/span> 9<\/span> mentions<\/span> Gerasimov.<\/span> Gerasimov,<\/span> 67,<\/span> is<\/span> a<\/span> commander<\/span> in<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> war<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> and<\/span> is<\/span> said<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> in<\/span> possession<\/span> of<\/span> one<\/span> of<\/span> three<\/span> Russian<\/span> “nuclear<\/span> briefcases,”<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> Western<\/span> military<\/span> analysts.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Another<\/span> notable<\/span> absence<\/span> is<\/span> General<\/span> Sergey<\/span> Slovikin,<\/span> dubbed<\/span> “General<\/span> Armageddon”<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> press<\/span> for<\/span> his<\/span> aggressive<\/span> tactics<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Syrian<\/span> conflict.<\/span> Slovikin<\/span> is<\/span> the<\/span> deputy<\/span> commander<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> military<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>According<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> New<\/span> York<\/span> Times<\/span> report<\/span> based<\/span> on<\/span> a<\/span> U.S.<\/span> intelligence<\/span> interview,<\/span> Slovikin<\/span> had<\/span> prior<\/span> knowledge<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> mutiny.<\/span> Russian<\/span> authorities<\/span> are<\/span> said<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> investigating<\/span> his<\/span> possible<\/span> involvement.<\/span> The<\/span> Kremlin<\/span> downplayed<\/span> the<\/span> report,<\/span> saying<\/span> there<\/span> would<\/span> be<\/span> a<\/span> lot<\/span> of<\/span> speculation<\/span> and<\/span> rumors,<\/span> but<\/span> the<\/span> Russian-language<\/span> version<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Moscow<\/span> Times<\/span> and<\/span> military<\/span> bloggers<\/span> reported<\/span> on<\/span> Slovikin’s<\/span> arrest.<\/span> Several<\/span> other<\/span> military<\/span> correspondents<\/span> with<\/span> significant<\/span> supporters<\/span> in<\/span> Russia<\/span> claimed<\/span> that<\/span> he<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> senior<\/span> officers<\/span> were<\/span> being<\/span> questioned<\/span> about<\/span> their<\/span> possible<\/span> role<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> mutiny.<\/span> However,<\/span> Reuters<\/span> could<\/span> not<\/span> independently<\/span> confirm<\/span> Mr<\/span> Slovikin’s<\/span> arrest.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>A<\/span> Telegram<\/span> news<\/span> channel<\/span> called<\/span> Leiber,<\/span> run<\/span> by<\/span> a<\/span> former<\/span> Russian<\/span> defense<\/span> ministry<\/span> spokesman,<\/span> reported<\/span> that<\/span> a<\/span> purge<\/span> was<\/span> underway.<\/span> The<\/span> channel<\/span> suggested<\/span> military<\/span> personnel<\/span> who<\/span> showed<\/span> a<\/span> “lack<\/span> of<\/span> resolve”<\/span> in<\/span> suppressing<\/span> the<\/span> rebellion<\/span> would<\/span> be<\/span> targeted.<\/span> An<\/span> armed<\/span> rebellion<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> private<\/span> military<\/span> company<\/span> Wagner<\/span> is<\/span> believed<\/span> to<\/span> have<\/span> provided<\/span> the<\/span> pretext<\/span> for<\/span> this<\/span> sweeping<\/span> purge<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> military.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>If<\/span> these<\/span> reports<\/span> are<\/span> correct,<\/span> such<\/span> a<\/span> purge<\/span> could<\/span> have<\/span> serious<\/span> implications<\/span> for<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> war<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine,<\/span> dubbed<\/span> a<\/span> “special<\/span> military<\/span> operation.”<\/span> It<\/span> could<\/span> also<\/span> cause<\/span> unrest<\/span> within<\/span> the<\/span> military<\/span> as<\/span> Moscow<\/span> seeks<\/span> to<\/span> counter<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> aggression.<\/span> In<\/span> addition,<\/span> the<\/span> purge<\/span> may<\/span> strengthen<\/span> or<\/span> improve<\/span> the<\/span> status<\/span> of<\/span> other<\/span> senior<\/span> military<\/span> and<\/span> security<\/span> officials<\/span> deemed<\/span> loyal.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> Ministry<\/span> of<\/span> Defense<\/span> has<\/span> not<\/span> issued<\/span> an<\/span> official<\/span> comment<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> current<\/span> situation.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>As<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> winners<\/span> and<\/span> losers<\/span> in<\/span> this<\/span> scenario,<\/span> some<\/span> Russian<\/span> and<\/span> Western<\/span> military<\/span> and<\/span> political<\/span> analysts<\/span> believe<\/span> that<\/span> Putin’s<\/span> longtime<\/span> ally,<\/span> Defense<\/span> Minister<\/span> Sergei<\/span> Shoigu,<\/span> is<\/span> now<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> more<\/span> stable<\/span> position.<\/span> Some<\/span> believe<\/span> that<\/span> Prigogine<\/span> tried<\/span> to<\/span> overthrow<\/span> both<\/span> Shoigu<\/span> and<\/span> Gerasimov<\/span> on<\/span> suspicion<\/span> of<\/span> incompetence.<\/span> But<\/span> despite<\/span> the<\/span> fact<\/span> that<\/span> they<\/span> are<\/span> considered<\/span> incompetent<\/span> and<\/span> unpopular<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> military,<\/span> their<\/span> continued<\/span> tenure<\/span> seems<\/span> assured.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Another<\/span> person<\/span> who<\/span> could<\/span> benefit<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> situation<\/span> is<\/span> Putin’s<\/span> former<\/span> bodyguard<\/span> and<\/span> head<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> National<\/span> Guard,<\/span> Viktor<\/span> Solotov.<\/span> Solotov<\/span> made<\/span> a<\/span> public<\/span> appearance<\/span> and<\/span> declared<\/span> that<\/span> his<\/span> army<\/span> was<\/span> ready<\/span> to<\/span> fight<\/span> “to<\/span> the<\/span> death”<\/span> to<\/span> defend<\/span> Moscow<\/span> against<\/span> Wagner.<\/span> He<\/span> also<\/span> mentioned<\/span> the<\/span> possibility<\/span> of<\/span> obtaining<\/span> heavy<\/span> weapons<\/span> and<\/span> armor<\/span> for<\/span> his<\/span> army<\/span> after<\/span> the<\/span> rebellion.<\/span> Gerasimov’s<\/span> absence<\/span> from<\/span> Putin’s<\/span> recent<\/span> speech<\/span> thanking<\/span> the<\/span> military<\/span> for<\/span> averting<\/span> the<\/span> civil<\/span> war<\/span> drew<\/span> attention.<\/span> Shoigu,<\/span> by<\/span> contrast,<\/span> has<\/span> made<\/span> numerous<\/span> public<\/span> appearances<\/span> since<\/span> the<\/span> uprising.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Mr.<\/span> Gerasimov’s<\/span> deputy<\/span> Mr.<\/span> Slovikin<\/span> was<\/span> last<\/span> seen<\/span> on<\/span> Saturday<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> video<\/span> appealing<\/span> to<\/span> Mr.<\/span> Prigozhin<\/span> to<\/span> end<\/span> the<\/span> rebellion.<\/span> It’s<\/span> unclear<\/span> if<\/span> Mr.<\/span> Slovikin<\/span> spoke<\/span> under<\/span> duress,<\/span> as<\/span> he<\/span> looked<\/span> exhausted.<\/span> Unconfirmed<\/span> reports<\/span> from<\/span> Russian<\/span> media<\/span> and<\/span> bloggers<\/span> say<\/span> Slovikhin<\/span> is<\/span> being<\/span> held<\/span> in<\/span> Lefortovo<\/span> detention<\/span> center<\/span> in<\/span> Moscow.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MOSCOW (Reuters)-After a failed mercenary uprising aimed at overthrowing Russia’s top leadership, Russia’s top generals have disappeared from public view, sparking questions and speculation. President Vladimir Putin has aggressively asserted his authority in the face of reports of his possible arrest, but his arrest has yet to be confirmed. Russia’s top general, General Valery Gerasimov, […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[26,276,2480],"tags":[4426,7116,7117,7118,7119,7120,7121,7122,7123,7124],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/RUSSIAN.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8728"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8728"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8732,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8728\/revisions\/8732"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}