Vladimir Putin has fired General Sergei ‘Armageddon’ Surovikin as head of his aerospace forces, Russian media have confirmed today.
The notoriously ruthless commander, 56, disappeared from view two months ago and was said to have been placed under arrest following a coup led by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The Kremlin said Colonel General Viktor Afzalov, 55, who fell asleep during a speech by Putin about the war, has replaced Soerovikin on an “interim” basis.
Seen as one of Russia’s most capable — and vicious — generals, Surovikin also reportedly lost his other role as deputy to General Valery Gerasimov, Putin’s general war commander.
Soerovikin’s demise is seen as a victory for Gerasimov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in a toxic power struggle within Putin’s high command.
Some reports suggest that Surovikin will be demoted to a new job, but there are also claims that his family has not seen him since he disappeared from sight at the time of the coup against the Putin regime, and that legal sanctions are still pending rest on him.
One source said: “Surovikin was relieved of his duties due to a transfer to another job and is at the disposal of the Ministry of Defense.”
Another said he was on a ‘short vacation’.
During the Wagner mutiny against the Ministry of Defense in June, the father of four Soerovikin was recalled from the war zone to Moscow.
He released a video calling on the Wagner mutineers to lay down their arms and stop a march on Moscow – this later turned out to be the last time he was seen.
But some Putin loyalists believed he had foreknowledge of the putsch bid, or even colluded with Wagner chief Prigozhin.
Reports followed that he had been detained for interrogation in Lefortovo Prison, or a secret military prison.
It is believed that he was questioned by a commission appointed by Shoigu, but a veil of secrecy was cast over his status and the Kremlin did not provide information on his whereabouts.
Surovikin was notorious for his brutality in Syria and Chechnya, where he earned the nickname “General Armageddon.”
He was briefly in charge of Russia’s war campaign in Ukraine from October until Putin stripped him of responsibility in January and handed it over to Gerasimov.
During his tenure, he was accused of “genocidal” attacks on Ukrainian power plants.
Yet he was also credited with commanding the defensive lines that blocked Kiev’s progress in the Ukrainian counter-offensive.
