Sergey Surovikin, former commander of Russia's forces in Ukraine who faded from view after Prigozhin rebellion, resurfaces in Algeria

Russian General Sergey Surovikin, the ex-commander of Russia's invasion forces in Ukraine who disappeared from the public eye in 2023, is now working in Algeria, according to pro-war Telegram channels.

The channels pointed to photos posted by the Russian Embassy in Algeria on Russia’s Victory Day holiday that included the former commander.

The embassy didn’t name Surovikin directly, but referred to him by his position as the “head of a group of Russian military specialists.”

Surovikin vanished from public view after the late Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s June 2023 mutiny attempt. Media reports at the time suggested he may have had prior knowledge of the rebellion and was arrested afterward, though this was not officially confirmed.

In February 2025, State Duma Defense Committee member Viktor Sobolev said that Surovikin was working as a military advisor in an African country.