An ex-commander with Russias well-known mercenary group Wagner who is currently looking for asylum in Norway described experiencing summary executions of fellow soldiers during an interview with The Moscow Times on Tuesday.
Andrei Medvedev, 26, stated that he experienced a double execution at a Wagner center where the group was training inmates recruited from Russias prisons.
There was a case when they brought 2 prisoners who declined to combat and they shot them in front of others for declining to follow orders, Medvedev stated from Norway.
There were a great deal of such cases.
Medvedev got away to the Scandinavian country earlier this month after combating in eastern Ukraine for four months as a member of Wagner, which is run by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former chef believed to be near to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
After deserting the mercenary group in November Medvedev crossed the Norwegian border on foot, obviously directly getting away from Russian border guard patrols.Wagner fighters in Ukraine were dealt with like livestock by their military leaders and sent out to the frontline like cannon fodder, Medvedev stated.
I regret that I was there at all.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russias Wagner mercenary force.t.me/ Prigozhin_hatHowever, Medvedev declined to define exactly what criminal offenses Wagner soldiers-- who played a crucial role in fights around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut-- committed, or whether he gave any criminal orders as a Wagner commander.Medvedev served as the leader of the very first squadron of the 4th platoon of Wagners 7th Assault Detachment and battled near Bakhmut, according to Russian human rights NGO Gulagu.net.
Wagner is believed to have as numerous as 50,000 fighters deployed in Ukraine, including countless Russian convicts who were assured early release from jail in exchange for signing 6-month agreements to combat in Ukraine-- but threatened with death if they deserted.
While there are no precise figures offered, Wagner has actually reportedly suffered heavy casualties, with unique Wagner cemeteries established in Russia considering that the start of the war.
Wagner fighters have actually been accused by Ukraine of murdering civilians near Kyiv.Medvedev, who grew up in an orphanage in Siberias Tomsk region and has several convictions for break-in, stated he signed up with the mercenary group as a volunteer in July.But he stated he decided to desert after he saw what was taking place in Ukraine.Wagner Group fighters in the embattled eastern Ukrainian town of Soledar.Ivan Noyabrev/ TASSOne of the 15 males apparently under Medvedevs command was founded guilty murderer Yevgeny Nuzhin, who was eliminated with a sledgehammer by another Wagner fighter in an evident execution that was captured on video and distributed on social networks in November.
Nuzhin gave up to Ukrainian forces last year quickly after being deployed to Ukraine.Wagner head Prigozhin stated at that time that Nuzhin deserved a canines death, but later on denied the group had any involvement in his murder.
It was anticipated, Wagner has no other approaches, Medvedev stated when asked about Nuzhins execution.Medvedevs lawyer informed AFP previously this month that he was going to discuss his experiences in the Wagner Group to individuals who are investigating war criminal activities.
While Medvedev stated that he was too junior to have direct interaction with Prigozhin, he recounted that when he fulfilled Prigozhin at a Wagner training center he provided the impression of an ill person.
A sane person would not do what he does, Medvedev included.
After crossing the border into Norway and being questioned by regional security service officers, Medvedev was launched, pending a decision on his application for political asylum.
I want to begin a tranquil life, Medvedev told The Moscow Times.While Wagner validated earlier this month that Medvedev has actually been one of their mercenary fighters, The Moscow Times has not been able to separately verify Medvedevs account.