The gray areas surrounding Andriy Medvedev

OLGA MALTSEVA / AFP

“Wagner deserter”: the gray areas around Andrei Medvedev (photo of Wagner’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Russia)

War in Ukraine – Some mystery lingers around ex-mercenary Andriy Medvedev By Wagner, who fled the war and took refuge in Norway. After fleeing the epic situation, the soldier is today a valuable witness who sheds light on the brutality from within. Russian paramilitary group in Ukraine Feed the case against Moscow.

In a video aired this weekend by the NGO Gulagu.net, the square-faced Russian with close-cropped hair claims to have fought in Ukraine as the leader of a ten-man squad. of men within Wagner. The Sulfur Group, which he claims left him when his four-month contract was extended against his will in November. He spent two months in hiding in Russia before fleeing the country.

He was summarily arrested upon arrival In Norway Where he applied for asylum, Andrey Medvedev must be heard or heard by both authorities, the Crime Squad (Krybos), which participates in international investigations into immigration and war crimes in Ukraine. “He himself said that he was a member of the Wagner group and that Kripos was interested in getting more information about this period.”Police said on Tuesday.

His client, his Norwegian lawyer Brynjulf ​​Risnes told AFP Wagner is willing to talk about his experience on the team to people investigating war crimes. But gray areas persist around this role.

Wagner Medvedev Norway and ” Very dangerous »

Begins with his arrival in Norwegian territory. Under bullets and Russian guards with dogs at his heels, Andrei Medvedev secretly crossed the Pasvik River last week, the now-frozen river that marks the Russian-Norwegian border in the far north. However, many experts believe that the heavily guarded border cannot be crossed without the help of ex-mercenaries.

Later, his career leaves some questions, especially as the Wagner group tries to discredit him in Telegram, as pointed out. the world. The group responded to questions from the Norwegian press PinpostonAndreï Medvedev promises to be Norwegian, and “ Very dangerous”. As a reminder, Wagner was heavily recruited In Russian prisons to fight in Ukraine.

“Actually, Andrei Medvedev fought in Wagner’s Norwegian battalion Nidok, because he is Norwegian, but he should have been prosecuted for trying to mistreat prisoners. Detailed documents are available from Wagner’s security department, which were handed over to the Russian authorities. He was on the wanted list until now. Be careful, this Very dangerous.”Wagner promises.

However, according to Andrei Medvedev’s lawyer, who Responded to these commentsHis client “As far as I know, absolutely Norwegian nationality or no previous connection with Norway”.

Compromises USB keys

Finally, there is the question of what the fugitive can disclose. The Norwegian Police’s Criminal Division (Kribos), which is involved in an international investigation into war crimes in Ukraine, began questioning him last Saturday. According to Brynjulf ​​Risnes, he is cooperative.

“He was an interesting figure, mainly in the Wagner group (…), including as a first-hand witness to the post-war trials of atrocities in Ukraine.”says Tor Bukvol, a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Defense Research. “He might be in Bagmouth.”Russian troops have been trying to capture a city in eastern Ukraine for months, “And he can say things from within that no one else can say”he told AFP.

In an interview with the website The Insider In December, Andrei Medvedev said he knew Wagner had executed ten mercenaries who refused to return to the war. He mentions that he has a video that shows him killing two of them and calls for him to make it public if he has any mishaps. He would have had under his command a man accused of surrendering to Ukrainian forces, Yevkhuni Nauzhin, who was allegedly killed by sledgehammers upon his return to Russian ranks.

AFP could not independently confirm the veracity of his comments.

An informant” At the lowest level of the system.

Andrey Medvedev claims he had several USB keys with him when he fled to Norway. “What he says is interesting because we don’t have many direct testimonies from Wagner’s players, but two nuances are in order”Tor encrypts Bukkvoll.

“First, Wagner’s brutality has long been notorious, even before the conflict in Ukraine, as was the killing of prisoners in Syria.”The researcher notes. “And Medvedev seems to have been at a very low level of the organization, so it’s unlikely he could have revealed anything about what was going on at the highest levels.”.

Wagner’s exact relationship with the Russian military, established in 2014, remains in question, with many observers saying we see tensions between the two forces driven by political ambitions due to the head of the paramilitary group, businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin. .

However, Andriy Medvedev’s lawyer has promised that he took with him evidence of war crimes committed in Ukraine and intends to share this information with the teams investigating the allegations.

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