Russia’s former top commander in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin, had advanced knowledge of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plans to topple the country’s military leadership last weekend, The New York Times reported Tuesday, citing unnamed U.S. officials. Surovikin commanded Russia’s forces in Ukraine for three months between October 2022 and January 2023 until he was replaced by General Valery Gerasimov. Prigozhin had praised Surovikin in the past while criticizing Gerasimov and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for their handling of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. I urge you to stop,” Surovikin, with one hand placed on a submachine gun, said in the video. A former U.S. official cited by The New York Times said Surovikin’s “body language suggested he was uncomfortable denouncing a former ally.”

Source: New York Times June 29, 2023 02:57 UTC