Andrei Medvedev seemed to be living proof that not all Russians agree with the invasion of Ukraine. In January, the mercenary who had supposedly deserted from the dreaded Wagner group fled to Norway and applied for asylum there. While escaping across a frozen border river, he was chased by Russian border guards with dogs and shot at, the 26-year-old said. But now doubts about his story are growing.
«I recently decided that I am ready to return to the Russian Federation. I have contacted the Russian embassy in Oslo to arrange my return,” Medvedev said in a video on YouTube. “I had hoped to find peace here, to leave politics, war and the army behind. But it didn’t work.”
“If they kill me, okay. If not, thank you»
According to Medvedev, he fought on the side of the mercenaries in Ukraine, who executed deserters with a sledgehammer and publicly celebrated their brutality. He himself witnessed comrades being shot by superiors for refusing to fight, Medvedev said. If he returned to Russia, he would face the cruel revenge of the Wagner mercenaries, he justified his application for asylum in Norway. But his recent YouTube video sounds different.
“We’ll see what happens to me in Russia. If they kill me, fine. If not, thank you,” says Medvedev. He no longer wanted to be “the farmer in a big game.” begin to have doubts about his story. There are too many unanswered questions about his past and the circumstances of his escape. In addition, he could hardly have reached the border into Norway without help, let alone cross it. Also his arrest in Oslo for a night fight weakened Medvedev’s credibility.
“An Outstretched Middle Finger”
“When I heard Medvedev’s story, my first thought was that the FSB had driven him to the border to discredit Prigozhin,” writes Russia expert Olga Lautman of the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has been publicly attacking the Kremlin for months and is said to have many enemies within the domestic secret service FSB.
“So now Medvedev is coming back home,” Lautman continued. “Unfortunately, many in the West do not understand how Russian intelligence works and are easily fooled. If Medvedev feels safe enough to go back, then he is probably part of or working with the FSB. the whole story now becoming public is a middle finger stretched out towards Prigozhin.” (t online)
sources:
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
