2023-07-01 04:28:46
Enter2023.07.01 13:28 Edit2023.07.01 13:28
Bloomberg “Demand for the dismissal of Shoigu in the investigation of those involved in the rebellion, such as Surovikin”
Russian President Vladimir Putin is struggling to cover up the Wagner Group’s insurgency, but divisions within the core of power are becoming more apparent, Bloomberg reported on the 1st (local time).
While President Putin is trying to find out high-ranking officials who are believed to be involved in the rebellion, there are also movements against military leaders such as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, and infighting is spreading. An official familiar with the internal situation said that Sergei Surovikin, commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, who served as commander-in-chief for the Ukraine war, was questioned by the authorities regarding the Wagner Group mutiny.
The official added that Surovikin was not in custody, but his movement was restricted.
Surovikin, a representative hardliner in the Russian military, has been called ‘General Armageddon’ and ‘The Butcher’ for his ruthlessness wherever he participated in wars in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Syria. There were also reports that he had a good relationship with the head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and was a secret VIP member of the Wagner Group.
“A large-scale investigation has been launched,” said Sergei Markov, a political analyst with close ties to the Kremlin.
Another knowledgeable source said a more extensive investigation was underway targeting Shoigu’s aides. In addition, an MPS official who opposes Shoigu said on condition of anonymity that internal voices calling for his dismissal are being strengthened.
Prigozhin has frequently criticized Russian military leaders, including Minister Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, for ruining the war with Ukraine with their incompetence.
There is also an analysis that this rebellion also happened when the plan to capture them was discovered and they advanced to Moscow. After the rebellion ended on the 24th of last month, President Putin has been attempting to end the situation by informing the public that he is still alive and well through a series of public actions such as TV speeches, visits to regions, and participation in industry events.
He also reaffirmed his confidence in top military figures such as Minister Shoigu.
However, after this rebellion, the position of Putin’s aides, including Minister Shoigu, is weakening due to the ‘power vacuum’, and as this confusion within the highest power continues, doubts about President Putin’s control are growing among the political and business elites, insiders said. told
However, Western officials believe that even if the military leadership is reshuffled, it will not pose a threat to Minister Shoigu or Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov.
It is pointed out that President Putin, who emphasizes loyalty, is unlikely to get rid of his old aides under external pressure.
“The most likely scenario is not a direct challenge to Putin, but a continued decline of the ruling system,” said Oksana Antonenko, a researcher at the Kennan Institute, a think tank affiliated with the Woodrow Wilson Center.
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