I ran and ran and ran on an icy surface until I reached the first city [norueguesa] Said veteran Andrei Medvedev.
As shown in a video sent to the Russian human rights organization Gulagu.net – which showed the images on its Telegram channel -, the former leader of the Wagner Group managed to flee Russia on the 12th, entering Norway across the border. In the border town of Nikil in the Murmansk region.
Medvedev requested political asylum and international protection and was able to stay in a center for immigration offenders.
“I am very happy to be in Norway and for the treatment they gave me,” he confirmed.
This is the first time since the beginning of the Russian military campaign in Ukraine, on February 24, that a former commander of one of the paramilitary units of the Wagner Group, located in eastern Ukraine and accused of killing thousands of Ukrainians, has killed thousands of Ukrainians. They fled from Russia to Europe.
Medvedev, who served in the Wagner assault detachment, agreed to testify and expose the founder of the mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gulagu.net added.
“I hope my testimony will be key to the investigation [o grupo] Wagner,” said the ex-fighter.
In early December 2022, former commander Wagner turned to Gulagu.net and its founder, Vladimir Usychkin, to seek help and avoid extrajudicial reprisals.
Medvedev stopped fighting for the Wagner Group once his four-month contract, which was signed on July 6, 2022, expired.
during these months [em que fez parte do grupo paramilitar]was an eyewitness to numerous executions of the so-called “refuseniks”, those who refused to fight against the Ukrainians and wanted to leave the mercenary group, Gulagu.net recalls.
“After Medvedev left the Wagner Group, Prigozhin himself and his security service took steps to arrest Andrei,” the organization adds, which stresses that the former leader can now give detailed testimony that can be used as part of the investigation.
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