Russian Troops Face Purge and Punishment

Large-scale "purges" are underway in Russia in the aftermath of a mutiny attempt by Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin on June 24, a U.S.-based think tank has said.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its latest update on Russia's war in Ukraine on Wednesday that Prigozhin's short-lived uprising is already having widespread impacts on the Russian command structure. One report from Russia has said that at least one high-ranking military official has been detained by authorities.

Wagner Group fighters, led by Prigozhin, seized the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on Saturday and marched within 120 miles of Moscow. The mutiny lasted less than 24 hours, with Prigozhin pulling back his men after the Kremlin said Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko had brokered a deal to avoid bloodshed.

The think tank cited a prominent Russian milblogger as saying that the mutiny has prompted "large-scale purges" among the command cadre of the Russian armed forces and that the Ministry of Defense (MoD) was currently undergoing a "crash test" for loyalty.

A review is being conducted by the Federal Guard Service (FSO), which provides security for the president and other state officials, into the Russian military leadership and commanders of individual units, the ISW said, citing the milblogger.

"The milblogger claimed that Russian officials are using the MoD's 'indecisiveness' in suppressing the rebellion and 'support for paramilitary companies (PMCs)' as pretexts to remove 'objectionable' personnel from their positions."

Notably, Russia's Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov may have been stripped of his responsibilities for Russian operations in Ukraine, while retaining his post, the milblogger said.

As the Wagner Group marched on Moscow during Prigozhin's short-lived mutiny, the Russian tycoon declared that his goal was the resignation of the men leading Russia's war in Ukraine—Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gerasimov.

Russian Airborne Forces commander and rumored deputy theater commander Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky likely assumed responsibilities as overall theater commander in Ukraine following Prigozhin's rebellion, the ISW said.

The think tank cited another Russian source as saying that an "atmosphere of suspicion has enveloped the General Staff" and that Gerasimov's affiliates are being accused of "indecision and failure."

Meanwhile, affiliates of deputy commander of the joint grouping of forces in Ukraine Army General Sergei Surovikin are accused of "complicity" in Prigozhin's mutiny.

"The sources publishing these speculations have largely been accurate in previous reporting on Russian command changes, although the ongoing disruption to human networks and the severe potential consequences related to Prigozhin's armed rebellion may affect these sources' accuracy," the think tank added.

According to The Moscow Times, Surovikin has been detained by authorities, though this has yet to be confirmed by Russian officials. Reuters reported U.S. intelligence as saying Surovikin was sympathetic to the Wagner rebellion, but it was unclear if he actively supported it.

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry via email for comment.

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