Russian ‘Armageddon’ general Surovikin, not seen since Wagner mutiny, ‘sacked’

‘Sergei Surovikin has been relieved of his post,’ Russia’s state-run RIA news agency quoted a source as saying

Nicknamed ‘General Armageddon’ for his ruthlessness, Surovikin had close ties with Wagner, which rebelled against nation’s military leaders in June

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General Sergei Surovikin, who was linked to June’s Wagner rebellion, has been dismissed from his job as chief of the air force, according to Russian state media. File photo: Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP

Published: 6:21pm, 23 Aug 2023Updated: 3:43am, 24 Aug 2023

The head of Russia’s aerospace force General Sergei Surovikin has been sacked, state media said on Wednesday, after he disappeared from public view following a failed mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in June.

Nicknamed “General Armageddon” for his ruthless methods, Surovikin had close ties with Wagner and was rumoured to have been removed after the mercenary group rebelled against Russia’s military leadership.

“Ex-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Sergei Surovikin has been relieved of his post,” Russia’s state-run RIA news agency quoted a source as saying.

It said that Colonel-General Viktor Afzalov, Chief of Staff of the aerospace force, would temporarily replace Surovikin in his former role.

Surovikin – a veteran of Moscow’s wars starting with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan – was a leading commander in Moscow’s Ukraine offensive and had long been seen as Wagner’s ally in the defence ministry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin with General Sergei Surovikin in December. Photo: via AFP

In May, when Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin furiously accused Russian military leaders of failing to provide his forces with ammunition, Surovikin was officially named as an intermediary between Wagner and the army.