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☆ Colonel-General Afzalov Confirmed as Chief of Russian Aerospace Forces - Defence Ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry on Friday confirmed the appointment of Colonel-General Viktor Afzalov as commander of the country's aerospace forces, replacing General Sergei Surovikin who was removed from the role in August. Russian state-run RIA and TASS news agencies had reported his appointment last week, citing sources. Russia's Aerospace Forces comprise the air and space branches of its armed forces. Afzalov, 55, had been acting head of the aerospace forces after Surovikin's dismissal. In September Surovikin apparently returned to official duties as he was a part of a Russian Defence Ministry delegation that made a trip to Algeria, a major buyer of Russian weapons.

Persons: Viktor Afzalov, Sergei Surovikin, Afzalov, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Surovikin, Vladimir Putin’s, Gareth Jones, Hugh Lawson Organizations: TASS, Russia's Aerospace Forces, Ukraine, New York Times, Russian Defence Ministry, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Ukraine, Algeria

☆ Russian general in Algeria in apparent return to work after Wagner mutiny, Kommersant reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

General Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, visits the Joint Headquarters of the Russian armed forces involved in military operations in Ukraine, in an unknown location in Russia, in this picture released December 17, 2022. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSept 15 (Reuters) - Russian general Sergei Surovikin is in Algeria as part of a Defence Ministry delegation, in an apparent return to official duties after coming under suspicion in connection with a June mutiny by the Wagner mercenary force, Kommersant newspaper reported on Friday, citing a source close to the general. The newspaper published photographs of Surovikin wearing a khaki suit without military insignia that it said had been taken in Algeria, a major buyer of Russian weapons. He became popular among hardline critics of the Russian military establishment including Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was killed in a plane crash last month. Various media outlets reported that Surovikin had fallen out of favour with the Kremlin and that he was being investigated for possible complicity.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin’s, Surovikin, RIA, Viktor Afzalov, Felix Light, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Defence Ministry, Kommersant, New York Times, Kremlin, Commonwealth of Independent, Institute for, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Kremlin, Algeria, Moscow, Commonwealth of Independent States, Soviet

☆ Russia's 'General Armageddon' seen in first photo since Wagner mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a couple appearing to be Russian General Sergei Surovikin and his wife Anna at an unknown location, in this undated photo published September 4, 2023. "General Sergei Surovikin is out. A second report, published by prominent independent Russian journalist Alexei Venediktov on his Telegram channel, said: "General Surovikin is at home with his family. Surovikin, who gained the nickname "General Armageddon" during Russia's military intervention in Syria's civil war, was briefly in charge of Moscow's war effort in Ukraine before that role was handed in January to General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff. Surovikin was widely viewed by Russian war commentators as a forceful and capable figure.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Anna, Wagner, Ksenia Sobchak, Alexei Venediktov, Surovikin, Venediktov, RIA, Viktor Afzalov, Valery Gerasimov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Mark Trevelyan, Nick Macfie, Ron Popeski, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Ostorozhno Media, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Reuters, Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russian, Kremlin, Ukraine

☆ Opinion: Prigozhin seemed to be living on borrowed time
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Opinion Daniel Treisman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin — who the Russian aviation agency confirmed was a passenger on board a plane that crashed on Wednesday evening — seemed to be living on borrowed time. Video of the plane debris taken at the purported crash site in the western Tver region of Russia matches the plane registered to Prigozhin. Investigations were started within the armed forces, and probably within the security forces as well. Any effort to paint Prigozhin as wealthy and corrupt stopped almost immediately, and no new financial investigations were announced. And in what might have been the last straw for Putin, Prigozhin released a video on Monday of himself standing in what looked like an African desert, boasting of his men’s exploits.

Persons: Daniel Treisman, “, CNN — Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin —, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin, William Burns, “ I, Alexander Zemlianichenko, –, —, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Viktor Afzalov Organizations: University of California, CNN, Belarus, CIA, Kremlin, Central African, Investigations, Washington, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Los Angeles, Russian, Russia, Tver, Kuzhenkino, Tver region, Moscow, Africa, Mali, Central African Republic, Mozambique, Sudan, Ukraine, Petersburg, Sahel, St . Petersburg

General Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, visits the Joint Headquarters of the Russian armed forces involved in military operations in Ukraine, in an unknown location in Russia, in this picture released December 17, 2022. His reported removal suggests the authorities found fault with his behaviour, but the details of his alleged wrongdoing remain unknown. Surovikin earned the nickname "General Armageddon" during Russia's military intervention in Syria for the brutal tactics he employed there. He was placed in charge of Russian military operations in Ukraine last October, but in January that role was handed to General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, and Surovikin was made a deputy to Gerasimov. Afzalov was previously deputy to Surovikin and has been chief of staff of the Aerospace Forces for at least four years, according to British military intelligence.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Russian Air and Space Forces Sergei Surovikin, Viktor Afzalov, General Valery Gerasimov, Afzalov, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, RBC, Telegram, Ministry of Defence, Russian Air and Space Forces, Main Staff of, Air Force, Reuters, Aerospace Forces, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Kremlin, MOSCOW, Moscow, Syria, Gerasimov, Surovikin

CNN —A top Russian general who went missing after the mercenary group Wagner’s insurrection in June has been fired from his role as head of the country’s aerospace forces, Russian state media reported Wednesday citing unnamed sources. Gen. Sergey Surovikin has spent four decades as part of the Russian military, including a brief stint running Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. A Russian lawmaker said in July that Surovikin is “resting.”Documents shared with CNN in June suggested that Surovikin was a secret VIP member of Wagner. As the head of the aerospace forces, Surovikin oversaw the Kremlin’s campaign in Syria, during which Russian combat aircraft were accused of causing widespread devastation in rebel-held areas. Surovikin’s official bio on the Russian Defense Ministry’s website still lists him as the head of the aerospace forces.

Persons: Sergey Surovikin, Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Sorovikin, Gen, Viktor Afzalov, Surovikin’s, Ivan Popov, Vladimir Putin, Gleb Irisov, –, ” Irisov, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, Alexey Venediktov Organizations: CNN, The New York Times, RIA Novosti, Aerospace Forces, Moscow’s Defense Ministry, Kremlin Press Office, Russian, Human Rights Watch, Getty, Ministry of Defense, RBC, Russian Defense, Russian Ministry of Defense Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Kerch, Crimean, Russia, Afghanistan, Syria, Moscow, AFP

☆ Russia's military leaders are at each other's throats at a crucial time in the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian military leaders are at each other's throats amid continued losses in the Ukraine war. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has been accused of treason by a general in the Russian military claiming he was fired for raising concerns. But at this critical juncture in the war and while Russia's army continues facing losses, Russian military leaders appear to have more pressing targets in mind: each other. But even after Prigozhin all but disappeared following the Wagner revolt, concerns about Russia's military leadership persist. Popov claimed he was removed from his post after flagging issues that Russian forces were facing on the front lines in Ukraine.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Putin, Prigozhin, Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Ivan Popov, Popov, Andrey Gurulyov, vilely, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Andrei Kartapolov, Gerasimov, Gen, Viktor Afzalov Organizations: Defense, Service, Russian, Wagner, Bakhmut, Politico, Arms Army, Street Journal, Prigozhin, The New York Times, Times, Russian Aerospace Forces Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Syria

Summary Gerasimov shown in public on state TVHad not been seen in public since early JunePutin keeps Gerasimov in his jobGerasimov shown giving ordersWhereabouts of Surovikin still unclearMOSCOW, July 10 (Reuters) - Russia's most senior general, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, was shown ordering subordinates to destroy Ukrainian missile sites in a video released on Monday, his first appearance in public since a failed June 24 mercenary mutiny. It described him as chief of the general staff of Russia's armed forces and commander of Moscow's forces in Ukraine, the positions he held before the mutiny. In the video, Gerasimov was shown asking for and listening to a report by Viktor Afzalov, deputy to General Sergei Surovikin in the aerospace forces, who has not been since in public since the mutiny. It was unclear where Surovikin, who before the rebellion was deputy commander of Russia's forces in Ukraine and who was repeatedly praised by Prigozhin, was. "We note that the aerospace forces have coped with the task," Gerasimov was shown as saying.

Persons: Putin, Surovikin, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Viktor Afzalov, Sergei Surovikin, Prigozhin, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, Toby Chopra, Alex Richardson Organizations: Staff, Defence, Kremlin, Afzalov, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukrainian, Crimea, Moscow, Ukraine, Rostov, Kaluga, Russia, Russian

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