After attempted coup: Prigozhin friend Surovikin is said to have been arrested Madonna has to postpone her tour after several days in intensive care

For Yevgeny Prigozhin, his attempted coup against the military leadership of the Kremlin seems to have had no consequences (for now). He was allowed to escape to Belarus. It is different for a confidant of Prigozhin. Sergei Surovikin briefly served as the Supreme Commander of Russia’s special operations in Ukraine before Vladimir Putin demoted him to second rank and reported to the unloved Valery Gerasimov.

Now Surovikin has apparently been arrested, the Russian newspaper “Moscow Times” reports. She refers to two anonymous sources at the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Surovikin is close to Yevgeny Prigozhin, who once welcomed Surovikin’s appointment as Supreme Commander for Ukraine. According to a New York Times report, the attempted coup in Prigozhin may have been organized with the help of Surovikin. According to the newspaper, which refers to information from Western secret services, at least an initiation into the plans is likely.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet publicly commented on reports of the arrest. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has previously dismissed reports that Surovikin was an accomplice.

During the coup attempt, Surovikin took a stand in a video message and sided with the Kremlin – but it may have been too late. According to the senior military’s family, they have had no contact with Surovikin since Saturday.

Meanwhile, Russian military bloggers report on a “wave of purges” that has begun in the Russian military. Vladimir Putin’s bodyguards tested officers and soldiers alike to find out if they were still loyal to the Kremlin. It is possible that Surovikin, nicknamed “General Armageddon” because of his ruthless warfare, was the first to fail this test. (con)