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There has been no trace of Russian general Sergei Surovikin (56) since Saturday. The deputy chief of staff was imprisoned after the Wagner uprising, several Russian media reported, citing pro-government sources. According to the online portal “Ukrainska Pravda”, other media write that Surovikin was only interrogated and then released.
The charge against Surovikin: he knew about the plans of the mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin (62) – and did nothing about it. The Kremlin has not officially commented on this yet.
Now, however, internal documents obtained by CNN reveal that the general is a secret VIP member of the Wagner group. He has a personal registration number with Wagner. Besides him, at least 30 other high-ranking members of the Russian army are also on the VIP list. What a VIP membership at Wagner entails remains unclear at first, writes CNN.
Known as the “Butcher of Syria” for his unscrupulous use of Russian air power against civilians in the Syrian Civil War, Surovikin was formerly popular with Russian troops and generals. His good relations with Wagner were no secret either. The “General Armageddon” was commander of Russian forces in Ukraine until January 2023 before being ousted.
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak (53) does not rule out provocations by Wagner group mercenaries who entered Belarus after the coup attempt in Russia. “Let’s not forget that we may be facing provocations from the Wagner group,” Blaszczak said in an interview with TVP Info.
He described the members of the Wagner group as demoralized individuals with combat experience that made them very dangerous. Blaszczak added that during the meetings of the Defense Committee and the National Security Committee of Poland, instructions were given to the services subordinate to the Minister of the Interior and Administration and the Minister of National Defense. Earlier, Poland decided to increase security measures at the border with Belarus due to the arrival of Wagner mercenaries from Russia in the neighboring country.
The EU is providing further assistance to Ukraine following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. According to a statement by the Heads of State and Government adopted at the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, the European Union and its Member States are ready to provide support in addition to civil protection already in place. The destruction of the dam has devastating humanitarian, environmental, agricultural and economic consequences and also threatens the safety of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant. It is the largest in Europe.
The dam in the town of Nowa Kakhovka, which was occupied by Russian troops and was directly on the front line, broke on June 6. Huge bodies of water then poured out of the adjacent reservoir. Many places are flooded. Ukraine, which has been defending itself against Russian aggression for 16 months, is convinced that Russia blew up the building on purpose. Many international experts also think this is likely. Moscow denies the accusation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (45) indirectly criticized the EU for not clearly citing Russia as the cause of the disaster in the summit statement. In a speech at the summit broadcast via video conference, he warned that the lack of a strong EU response to the destruction of the dam could tempt “Russian terrorists” to attack the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
So far, US President Joe Biden (80) has stood in the way, but things could be moving now: As the Wall Street Journal reports, the US is about to deliver the ATACMS long-range missile system to Ukraine.
Officials in the US and Europe have seen signs that previously hesitant sections of the US administration, especially the White House, have recognized the urgent need to ramp up support for Ukraine’s struggle in the coming weeks. US and European officials have understood that now is the time to step on the gas, the report said.
World-famous climate activist Greta Thunberg (20) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (45). The Ukrainian Presidential Office reported that they exchanged views about blowing up the Kakhovka Dam.
After the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine, the Ukrainian government estimates the damage to the environment at US$1.5 billion (almost 1.35 billion Swiss francs). These “preliminary estimates” do not include “losses to agriculture, infrastructure, shelter and the cost of rebuilding the power plant itself,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal, 47, said recently at an international reconstruction conference in London.
The short-lived Wagner mutiny may prove more costly than expected for Putin’s war in Ukraine – the mercenaries shot down one of only 12 modernized high-tech Russian Ilyushin Il-22M jets. The plane was shot down in the Voronezh region, the Ukrainian media «Kyiv Post» reports.
The British Ministry of Defense assessed the loss of the aircraft as significant. “The Il-22M is part of a relatively small fleet of up to 12 aircraft, which is heavily used for both air guidance and radio transmission,” London said in a situation report posted on Twitter.
“These special aircraft played a key role in orchestrating Russian forces in their war against Ukraine. As valuable assets, they operated within the safety of Russian airspace, well beyond the range of Ukrainian air defense systems.
London believes the loss of the aircraft will result in a hindrance to Russia’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, as well as its ability to conduct aerial missions.
According to spokesperson Dmitry Peskov (55), the Kremlin has not commented on the whereabouts of Russian Deputy Chief of Staff Sergey Surovikin (55).
It is a matter for the defense ministry, Peskov told Russia’s Interfax news agency on Thursday after reports that the general had been arrested. Peskov dismissed a report in the American media on Wednesday as “speculation” that Surovikin would have known in advance about the uprising plan of mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin (62).
Asked whether President Vladimir Putin (70) continued to trust Surovikin, Peskov said on Thursday that the Kremlin chief had been working as commander-in-chief with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (68) and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov (67). ). The Ministry must comment on their subordinates. Initially there was no comment.
Several Russian media had already reported on Wednesday, citing informers, that Surovikin had been arrested. There was no confirmation of this.
The leader of the party of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (45), David Arakhamija (44), has made serious accusations against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (60).
Orban is “an agent within the European Union” to protect Russian values, Arachamija said on the sidelines of political talks in Brussels on Thursday. People are very disappointed with Orban’s behavior.
Arachamija stressed that this does not apply to the Hungarian people. This has brought in many displaced people from Ukraine, said Selenski’s confidante, who was involved in negotiations with the other side over a possible peace solution at the start of Russia’s offensive war.
Arachamija did not cite specific examples of alleged agent activity by Orban. However, the Hungarian head of government has also been accused by EU partners of being inappropriately pro-Russian.
The planned transfer of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group to Belarus has caused great concern at the EU summit. States such as Poland, Latvia and Lithuania fear for the security of the eastern external borders.
One of the main issues at the EU summit until next Friday is Ukraine’s continued support against Russia’s offensive war. The agenda also included future EU migration policy and the economic situation in the community, as well as relations with China.
Ukraine cannot hope for far-reaching security guarantees from the European Union for the time being. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer (50) made it clear on Thursday on the sidelines of the EU summit that his country would refuse the necessary approval for such commitments. In addition, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus have also clearly expressed their concerns, he explained.
In the run-up to the summit, Eastern EU countries, among others, had urged the EU to participate in efforts to provide security guarantees for the period after the possible end of Russia’s offensive war against Ukraine. These may be, for example, concrete commitments for military aid or promises of assistance in the event of an attack.
Nehammer said of security guarantees on Thursday: “It is clear to us as neutral states that they cannot exist in this way.” Austria’s military neutrality is governed by a 1955 federal constitutional law.
The draft final declaration of the EU summit does not refer to security guarantees, but to security commitments, which generally do not include direct military support.
Due to continued Russian shelling, the Ukrainian army has ordered the population of the border districts in the northeastern Sumy region to flee. “I call on everyone, please flee to save your own life!” Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev, 53, wrote on Telegram on Thursday. Local authorities assist in the evacuation. Russia uses rocket launchers, artillery and glide bombs in this area on a daily basis. “The Sumy sector remains the most dangerous in the northern area of operations,” Nayev stressed.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
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