Russian media reports on June 28 continued to speculate about the whereabouts of the deputy commander of Russian armed forces' united group, Sergei Surovikin, and his role in the weekend revolt despite Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov’s dismissal of the reports.
Peskov told reporters on June 28 "there are many different speculations, allegations, and so on about those events. I think this is one of such examples."
Citing U.S. security sources, The New York Times touched off the speculation with its report that Surovikin had known in advance about Wagner mercenary group's chief Yevgeny's Prigozhin's mutiny.
Surovikin, considered an ally of Prigozhin, posted a video message on June 24 calling on Wagner forces to halt their advance. Some experts said the message may have been forced.
High-ranking U.S. officials suspected an alliance between Surovikin and Prigozhin could explain why Prigozhin was still alive, the New York Times reported.
SEE ALSO: Africa Or Death? Prigozhin Unlikely To Remain In Belarus For LongAs part of a deal to stop the rebellion, Prigozhin and his fighters were allegedly offered exile in Belarus.
Rumors continued to spread on June 28 about Surovikin, who hasn’t been seen since June 24, according to Russian media.
The Moscow Times, citing sources close to the Defense Ministry, said Surovikin had been arrested. When asked by journalists about where the general is, the source replied: "We don't even comment on this information through internal channels."
The former editor in chief of Ekho Moskvy, Aleksei Venediktov, said Surovikin has not contacted his family for three days. According to Venediktov, it also is not possible to reach his guards.
RFE/RL couldn’t confirm the reports.
The rebellion saw Wagner troops occupy the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and then march toward Moscow.
SEE ALSO: After Prigozhin's Mutiny, Russia's Elites Wait For The FalloutThe Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed Western intelligence officials, reported on June 28 that Prigozhin had originally planned to capture Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Commander in Chief Valery Gerasimov during the revolt. The Journal wrote that Prigozhin had "accelerated his plans" after Russia's secret service caught wind of the plot.
The White House declined to add its voice to the speculation. Asked about the Wall Street Journal report, deputy spokeswoman Olivia Dolton said at a press briefing that the White House could not confirm nor speculate on any reports.
But U.S. President Joe Biden said that the unrest had weakened President Vladimir Putin, though he added that it’s “hard to tell” to what extent.
“He’s clearly losing the war in (Ukraine),” Biden said of Putin on June 28. “He’s losing the war at home and he has become a bit of a pariah around the world.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also said Putin had been weakened by the rebellion, which showed “the autocratic structures, the structures of power have cracks.”