Russian General Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of Russia’s war against Ukraine, has issued a video appeal calling on members of the notorious Wagner Group to surrender and resist their boss’ calls for a full-blown uprising.
The move comes amid reports of Wagner convoys heading towards Moscow and follows a jaw-dropping series of allegations by Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin—who first accused the Russian Defense Ministry of lying about the motivations for Moscow’s war against Ukraine, and just hours later claimed the military had retaliated by killing a “huge number” of his mercenaries in a missile strike.
Prigozhin, who used to be known by the nickname Putin’s Chef, then went all in and publicly called for “patriots” in the country to join him and thousands of Wagner mercenaries in staging an uprising to rid the Defense Ministry of “evil” and “scum.”
Russia’s top military brass, traditionally quite restrained in the face of Prigozhin’s frequent attacks, sprung into action this time around to call for a non-violent resolution.
“I call on you to stop. The enemy is just waiting for the internal political situation to worsen in our country… Before it’s too late, you need to obey the will and order of the popularly elected president of the Russian Federation. Stop the convoys, return them to the points of permanent deployment,” Surovikin said in a video shared on Telegram.
Vladimir Alekseyev, the deputy head of Russian military intelligence, also issued a video, apparently filmed in the same location as Surovikin’s.
“Our country is in the most difficult situation, when the whole Western world has united against us… Imagine the joy with which those on the West will perceive what you are now trying to do,” Alekseyev said, calling it a “knife in the back of the country and the president.”
“The last thing we need right now is to start a civil war inside the country,” he said.
Military vehicles were spotted in central Moscow late Friday as security services were said to be on high alert over the threat of a military coup.
Commanders of the Wagner Group released a response to the appeals for calm making clear they had no intention of backing down, however. In a statement shared on a Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel, they said they would “remain loyal to the most promising politician” and “will carry out any of his orders.”
“Neither the FSB, nor Surovikin can stop what has begun.”
