Russia has named a new interim leader of its Aerospace forces to replace Sergei Surovikin, nicknamed “General Armageddon,” who vanished after a Wagner mercenary revolt against the top brass, according to the RIA state news agency on Wednesday.
Surovikin, who was frequently publicly praised by Prigozhin in the run-up to the rebellion, has being probed for probable cooperation in it and is being held under house arrest, according to various Russian and foreign news sites.
His reported expulsion shows that the authorities were unhappy with his behavior, although the specifics of his supposed misbehavior are unknown.
On Wednesday, state news agency RIA cited an unnamed source as saying: “Ex-chief of the Russian Air and Space Forces Sergei Surovikin has now been relieved of his post, while Colonel-General Viktor Afzalov, head of the Main Staff of the Air Force, is temporarily acting as commander-in-chief of the Air Force”.
Surovikin earned the nickname “General Armageddon” during Russia’s military intervention in Syria for the brutal tactics he employed there.
He was put in control of Russian military operations in Ukraine in October, but that post was given over to General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, in January, and Surovikin was appointed as Gerasimov’s deputy.
According to British military intelligence, Afzalov was previously Surovikin’s deputy and has been Chief of Staff of the Aerospace Forces for at least four years.
