Prominent journalist says Russia鈥檚 Surovikin dismissed as head of aerospace forces

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, applauds Col. Gen. Sergei Surovikin during an awards ceremony for troops who fought in Syria, in the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 28, 2017. (AP)
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  • The general has not been seen in public since a short-lived mutiny in June by the Wagner mercenary group and its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, against Russia鈥檚 defense establishment

MOSCOW: A prominent Russian journalist on Tuesday said General Sergei Surovikin, who at one time was commander of Moscow鈥檚 war effort in Ukraine, has been dismissed as head of the country鈥檚 aerospace forces.
There was no official confirmation of the report by Alexei Venediktov, the well-connected former head of the now-defunct Ekho Moskvy radio station.
Venediktov on his Telegram channel said Surovikin had been removed by official decree, without providing any further details.
The RBC media outlet later on Tuesday also reported that Venediktov has been dismissed, citing its own sources.
鈥淎rmy General Sergei Surovikin has been relieved of his post in connection with the transition to another job and is at the disposal of (the Ministry of Defense),鈥� RBC said.
One of the paper鈥檚 sources said Surovikin 鈥渋s currently on short-term leave.鈥�
The general has not been seen in public since a short-lived mutiny in June by the Wagner mercenary group and its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, against Russia鈥檚 defense establishment.
During the revolt, Surovikin appeared in a video urging Prigozhin to stand down. Since the mutiny, Russian and foreign news reports have said that Surovikin was being investigated for possible complicity in it.
Surovikin earned the nickname 鈥淕eneral Armageddon鈥� during Russia鈥檚 military intervention in Syria鈥檚 civil war.
In October he was placed in charge of Russian military operations in Ukraine, 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.