Kremlin ‘purges’ 28 high-ranking officers after Wagner’s mutiny – Estonian intelligence
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Following the June 24 mutiny led by the Wagner Group PMC leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has carried out "purges" in the Defense Ministry, the GRU (military intelligence), and the army, head of Estonian intelligence, Col. Margo Grosberg, said during a briefing on July 14, according to Estonian public broadcaster ERR.
According to Grosberg, 13 high-ranking military officers were detained, and about 15, suspected of being involved in the mutiny, were dismissed. Gen. Sergei Surovikin disappeared without a trace, while a deputy defense minister and a GRU general were detained.
"It is not surprising, it was expected; Putin likely prepared his list and now they are removing those who are no longer considered reliable," Grosberg believes.
He also revealed that some Wagner fighters are still in Ukraine’s Luhansk Oblast, but are not deployed in combat. There are also indications that the Wagner fighters are leaving for Belarus. According to the official, numerous buses with Belarusian license plates have been spotted in the Voronezh region.
Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported with reference to anonymous sources that after the Wagner mutiny, 13 high-ranking military officials were detained for questioning. According to WSJ, Surovikin remains in custody.
Days following the short-lived Prigozhin mutiny, The New York Times reported that Surovikin may have been aware of Wagner’s plans and could have even supported the mutineers. The Moscow Times confirmed Surovikin's arrest on June 28.
On June 29, the Financial Times corroborated the report, saying that Surovikin has been detained and questioned by the FSB.
On July 12, UK Defense Intelligence highlighted additional evidence suggesting Surovikin's isolation, specifically his absence from a meeting with Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and his deputy, Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, General Viktor Afzalov.
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