The Kremlin sacked the pinnacle of Russia’s air power weeks after he was final seen in public throughout an aborted mutiny orchestrated by the chief of the Wagner Group mercenary military, the state-run RIA information company reported on Wednesday.

Gen. Sergei Surovikin, nicknamed General Armageddon, was changed by Gen. Viktor Afzalov as interim commander of the aerospace forces.

Gen. Surovikin is probably the most senior Russian army official to lose his job over the June 23-24 army rebellion led by Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Russian media tried to downplay the importance of the firing, saying Gen. Surovikin was merely being transferred to a different place and is “currently on a short vacation.”

He was appointed chief of Russia’s air power in October 2017. Prior to that, he commanded Russian troops in Syria. Last October he was appointed head of the Russia army operation in Ukraine till he was changed three months later by Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the final workers.

While Gen. Prigozhin repeatedly criticized Russia’s Ministry of Defense for its dealing with of the combating in Ukraine, he typically praised Gen. Surovikin, saying his forces at all times had enough weapons and ammunition when he was head of the operation there.

Various Russian army bloggers mentioned the information of Gen. Surovikin’s dismissal wasn’t new and can have little impression on the conflict in Ukraine as a result of the Kremlin eliminated him from energy instantly after Mr. Prigozhin’s rebel, in accordance with the Institute for the Study of War suppose tank.

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