He was commander of the notorious Wagner mercenary group, which goes to war for Vladimir Putin (70). Now he has escaped from Russia. His destination: Norway. His name: Andrei Medvedev.
As the Norwegian newspaper “Verdens Gang” reports, a man was arrested near the Russian border on Friday. He is suspected of illegally crossing the Norwegian-Russian border, local police said.
Medvedev fears Prigozhin’s revenge
Andrei Medvedev’s lawyer confirmed to “Verdens Gang” that the arrested was the former Wagner commander. Medvedev has now applied for asylum and is going through the usual procedure. Given the circumstances, the ex-mercenary is doing well.
The Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin (61), is fighting side by side with Putin’s troops. Most recently, the mercenaries played a crucial role in the capture of the Ukrainian city of Soledar.
Now Medvedev wants to testify against his ex-boss Prigozhin, reports the Russian human rights organization Gulagu.net, which recently published an interview with Medvedev. In an interview he talks about his flight: he crossed the border at the Russian settlement of Nikel in the northwest of the country. He was chased by dogs and men of the Russian secret service FSB. An attempt was made to shoot at him, says Medvedev.
According to Gulagu.net, Medvedev is the first ex-commander of the Wagner group since the beginning of the war to flee to Europe and agree to testify against Prigozhin. Medvedev left the Wagner mercenary position shortly after his contract expired. Shortly after his escape, Prigozhin ordered Medvedev’s arrest – unsuccessfully. Medvedev is said to be in a center for delinquent migrants in Oslo.
During his time as a Wagner mercenary, Medvedev observed several executions of conscientious objectors. He knows how cruel Prigozhin’s mercenaries are. Now he fears that the same fate awaits him. (treasure)