Who is General Armageddon, the Russian army officer missing after the mutiny against Putin?

While the Wagner mercenaries advanced towards Moscow on June 24 in an attempt to overthrow the Vladimir Putin government in their so-called "march of justice," two Russian generals publicly urged the mercenaries, led by their chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, to halt their advance.

One of these generals is Sergey Surovikin, who is often referred to as "General Armageddon" in the Russian media due to his reputation for ruthlessness.

Following the successful prevention of the coup, several high-ranking officers from the Russian military are reported to be missing. An American intelligence briefing suggests that Surovikin had prior knowledge of the mutiny, raising questions about his potential involvement given his close relationship with the Wagner chief. The last known sighting of Surovikin was on Saturday, June 24, in a video where he urged the mercenaries to turn back.

The Moscow Times confirms the arrest of General Surovikin

“The management said that there would be news about him today. In the context of Prigozhin. Apparently he [Surovikin] chose the side [of Prigozhin during the rebellion] and they grabbed him by the balls,” pic.twitter.com/I3YzJvU4MB

— MAKS 23 👀🇺🇦 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) June 28, 2023

Surovikin in Syria

• In 2017, Surovikin was deployed to Syria for approximately eight months to support its autocratic ruler Bashar al-Assad in the fight against various rebel groups.
• By the time his assignment concluded, the civil war had shifted in Assad's favour, and President Vladimir Putin announced a drawdown of Russian forces.
• Surovikin was subsequently appointed as the commander of Russia's Aerospace Forces and received the prestigious 'Hero of Russia' title, earning a reputation for being a merciless tactician. Surovikin, the first 'non-flying officer to command the coveted Aerospace Forces (an amalgamated force of air force and missile units), raised a few eyebrows.
• The Russian airstrikes and indiscriminate bombings on Ghouta and Aleppo resulted in the deaths of 5,700 civilians between 2015 and 2017, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, although Russia denied targeting civilians.
• Human Rights Watch even told, Surovikin was aware of the human rights abuses taking place in Syria while he was there, and he decided to turn a blind eye.
• During his stay there, he also joined hands with the Quds Force and the Hizbullah, both UN-designated terrorist outfits.
• “Though mostly covert and little acknowledged, that direct coordination with the Quds Force unquestionably contributed to the strategic relationship the world now sees between Iran and Russia,” said Charles Lister, the director of the Syria program at the US-based Middle East Institute.
• While he was in control of the Russian forces in Syria, chemical weapons like chlorine bombs were used multiple times by the Syrian forces on the rebels.
• The Russian efforts in Syria were largely aided by the Wagner Group. That is when Prigozhin and Surovikin are said to have worked together.
• As reported by Komsomolskaya Pravda, Surovikin's commanding role in Syria earned him the nickname "General Armageddon" among fellow officers.

ALSO READ: Wagner coup halted for now, but no one quite knows what happens in Putin's Russia

Involvement with Wagner

• Surovikin's involvement with the Wagner Group was not confined to Syria and Africa(before that).
• After the Russian withdrawal from Kherson in November 2022, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a harsh critic of the Russian Army Chief Valery Gerasimov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, praised Surovikin as a fearless and responsible individual.
• Prigozhin even suggested that Surovikin replace Gerasimov. During Prigozhin's mutiny, Surovikin was one of two generals who publicly called on him through videos to surrender. However, Surovikin did not look comfortable in these recordings without any insignia.
• US officials have stated that Surovikin supported Prigozhin, but it remains uncertain if he actively aided the rebellion. Reports of Surovikin's arrest and questioning by the FSB security service, along with other senior officers, have emerged, although these reports have not been verified.

Surovikin in Ukraine 

• Surovikin, then in command of Russian forces in southern Ukraine, assumed overall command of the Ukraine campaign on October 8, 2022. He was the first public figure to hold this position.
• Following a defeat in the northeastern Kharkiv region, Surovikin ordered a withdrawal from the west bank of the Dnipro River in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, realising the risk of being cut off due to the bombardment of the Antonivskyi bridge. The estimated 30,000-strong contingent retreated strategically, destroying the bridge behind them. This, although was a face-saving exit for Surovikin, was praised somewhat in a few circles as a calculated move.
• Surovikin's reputation as a commanding figure willing to employ brutal tactics to achieve results appealed to Russian nationalists, who believed he could manage the retreat without causing internal divisions.
• However, later, his role was subordinated to Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in January 2023, and he became one of Gerasimov's three deputies.

What appears to be the reason for the disappearance is not the General's direct involvement in the mutiny, but the amount of information he possesses.

ALSO READ: Putin blames West for June 24 Wagner coup attempt, says it wants Russians to kill each other