- A Russian general knew of Wagner was planning a rebellion against Putin, the NYT reported.
- Sergey Surovikin is a top commander in Russia's military, who led the invasion until he was demoted.
A senior Russian general knew about Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin's plans to stage an armed uprising, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing US intelligence.
US officials are trying to find out whether General Sergey Surovikin — dubbed "General Armageddon" by Russian media — also helped plan the rebellion, according to The Times.
The 36-hour military insurrection posed the most dramatic threat so far to President Vladimir Putin's 23-year-long leadership, though it ended in retreat.
US officials said that Prigozhin would not have marched toward Moscow unless he believed that others would help him, The Times reported.
Other top Russian commanders might also be involved, the news outlet added, without citing any specific names.
Surovikin is a popular general among Russian troops, who he commanded between October 2022 and January 2023, until he was replaced by General Staff Valery Gerasimov. He stayed on as Gerasimov's deputy.
Gerasimov and defense minister Sergei Shoigu are wildly unpopular among Russia's military.
Prigozhin's stated aim was to have them removed from their position, an aim many others in Russia could plausibly share.
After the Wagner group marched toward Moscow over the weekend, Surovikin appeared in a video urging them to give up.
"We are of the same blood. We are warriors. I urge you to stop," Surovikin said in the video. "The enemy is just waiting for the internal political situation to worsen. We should not play into the enemy's hands in these difficult times for our country."
The Times report suggests that Surovikin's public statements were at odds with his apparent sympathy with Wagner.
The Wagner group aborted its march within 125 miles (200 kilometers) of Moscow after a supposed deal was struck that would see Prigozhin go into exile in Belarus instead of being attacked by Russia's military and prosecuted by its law-enforcement agencies.
US officials said that President Vladimir Putin must now decide "whether he believes that Surovikin helped Prigozhin and how he should respond," The Times reported.
Russia's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.