Russia Latest: Top General Questioned on Ties to Mercenary Group

(Bloomberg) -- A top Russian general was questioned over his links to the mercenary group that carried out a failed revolt against the Kremlin’s military leadership as Vladimir Putin pressed ahead with a string of public appearances. 

Investigators questioned General Sergei Surovikin over several days about his connections to Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the matter is sensitive. Brigadier General Pat Ryder, a spokesman for the Pentagon, told reporters that some elements of the Wagner Group remain in Ukraine. 

Putin returned to Moscow overnight from a trip to the south of Russia as he continued efforts to project a sense of business-as-usual days after the mercenary rebellion marked the most serious threat to his nearly quarter-century rule. 

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All times CET

Surovikin Was Registered With Wagner, CNN Reports (4:10 a.m.)

Surovikin had personal registration with the Wagner Group, CNN reported on Thursday night, citing documents the network said it had obtained from the Dossier Center, which investigates the Russian leadership and its associates. 

CNN added that more than two dozen other Russian intelligence and military figures had the same status with Wagner. Although the report could not be independently verified, it does raise questions about Surovikin’s relationship with Prigozhin and Wagner.

The Dossier Center was established by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an exiled Russian businessman and Putin opponent.

Drones Attack Wagner-Linked Base in Libya, Report Says (4:10 a.m.)

A military base in eastern Libya that has been used by mercenaries from the Wagner Group came under attack by drones, Agence France-Presse reported on Thursday night, citing an anonymous military source. 

It could not be determined who was behind the assault at the al-Kharrouba air base, or if it had anything to do with last weekend’s attempted Prigozhin’s attempted rebellion in Russia. No one was hurt in the attack, the military source told AFP. Wagner has long had a presence in Libya, which has been riven by conflicts among various factions since the fall of the dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.   

Poll Shows Rising Support for Peace Talks (2:10 a.m.)

Russians’ support for peace talks with Ukraine has grown after Prigozhin’s revolt, according to a new opinion poll from the independent Levada Center.

The share of respondents backing negotiations increased by eight percentage points to 53% from a month earlier. Following the march by Prigozhin and Wagner fighters toward Moscow last weekend, the share of those favoring a continuation of fighting fell to 39%, according to the survey, to be published Friday. 

While Putin’s ratings remained largely unchanged in the aftermath of the upheaval, Prigozhin’s fell, the poll showed. On the eve of the mutiny, 19% of respondents were ready to consider voting for him in presidential elections due in 2024, while after June 24 the number fell to 6%.

US Weighs Providing Long-Range Missiles, WSJ Says (9:07 p.m.)

The U.S. is considering providing a long-range missile system for Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal said, citing American and European officials it didn’t identify. Despite concern that the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, with a range of about 190 miles (300 kilometers), could reach into Russian territory, there’s increased interest in providing it, the Journal said.

But Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, told reporters he’s “not aware of any imminent decision” on ATACMS.

Top Russian General Quizzed Over Mutiny Challenging Putin (1:14 p.m.) 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment Thursday when asked by reporters on a conference call whether Surovikin had been dismissed or detained, saying they should contact the Defense Ministry, according to the Interfax news service.

Latvian Premier Warns on Wagner in Belarus (12:12 p.m.) 

Latvia’s prime minister, Krisjanis Karins, said the presence of Wagner mercenaries in neighboring Belarus poses an urgent threat of “infiltration” into the European Union, calling on the bloc to intensify security measures.

“The threat will probably not be a frontal military threat, but the threat of infiltration into Europe for unknown purposes,” Karins said in Brussels as EU leaders met. “That means we need to heighten our border awareness and make sure we can control that.” 

Poland to Raise Belarus Border Security Amid Wagner Presence (11:04 a.m.) 

Poland will bolster security on its border with Belarus amid fears that the presence of Wagner mercenary forces may intensify what it calls hybrid warfare with its neighbor.

“We potentially have a new situation in Belarus with the Wagner presence,” Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said at a press conference in Warsaw on Wednesday. “The situation is dangerous for Ukraine and it’s also potentially dangerous for Lithuania and us.” 

Putin to Speak at ‘Strong Ideas’ Forum (9:30 a.m.)

Putin is due to speak Thursday at a forum titled “Strong Ideas for a New Time” in Moscow, an annual event whose title has taken on unexpected symbolism. 

Any remarks on the events of last weekend, or the absence of such comments, will be closely watched. The appearance comes a day after Putin traveled to southern Russia for an event focused on tourism development, and was seen on state television mixing with local residents. 

Despite the effort to portray the crisis as at an end, questions continued to hang over the extent to which elements within the military and the security services were aware of Prigozhin’s plan to march on Moscow. 

EU Leaders to Discuss Ukraine Security Commitments (8 a.m.)

EU leaders will discuss security commitments for Ukraine when they gather in Brussels on Thursday. France recently added the wording to a draft of the leaders’ conclusions.

The statement is meant to highlight the EU’s support for Kyiv with its training mission for Ukrainian soldiers and plans to send the country 1 million artillery shells. Member states want more clarity from France about what it will entail, an EU diplomat said. 

Separately, the US, UK, France and Germany are in talks about bilateral security assurances for Ukraine, expected to include commitments on continued weapons supplies, training and financing for its defense against Russia. The assurances could be presented on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius in July.

UK Terms Russian Aircraft Losses ‘Psychological Shock’ (7 a.m.)

During last week’s short-lived mutiny, Wagner air defense forces reportedly shot down Russian military helicopters and an Ilyushin Il-22M airborne command post aircraft, the UK defense ministry said in a Twitter thread. 

While the loss of the aircraft is likely to have a negative impact on Russian air and land operations, the “psychological shock” will almost certainly damage morale within the Russian Aerospace Force, the UK said. 

Deaths From Tuesday’s Russian Strike on Kramatorsk at 12 (6 a.m.)

The final death toll from a Russian missile strike on Kramatorsk in Ukraine’s east on Tuesday is 12, Ukraine’s interior ministry said. At least other 60 people were wounded when a popular pizza restaurant was hit. 

Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday arrested a man they accused of helping Russia direct the strike, the Associated Press reported. Three teenagers were among those killed.  

German Defense Chief Discusses Ukraine’s NATO Prospects (1:08 a.m.) 

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said there “wasn’t a clear date” regarding Ukraine’s possible membership in NATO, adding “that there is the view that the future of Ukraine is in NATO is enough.” 

Pistorius, on a visit to Washington Wednesday, also commented on the aftermath of Prigozhin’s attempted revolt. “What happened in Russia and what’s still going on has to concern us. We had very good meetings with Lloyd Austin and Jake Sullivan,” he said, referring to the US Defense secretary and Biden’s national security advisor. 

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