of Russia Andrejs Medvedevs, the former commander of the mercenary formation “Vagner”, fled from Russia to Norway and requested political asylum there, Russian human rights activist, founder of the “Gulagu.net” foundation Vladimir Osechkin said on Sunday.
Content will continue after the ad
Advertising
Medvedev, according to his own words, crossed the border in the Murmansk region near the city-village of Nikela, crossing two border fences.
In Norway, he got to a border town, knocked on the door of the first house and asked to call the police.
Escorted by security, the former Wagnerian was transported from the local airport Oslowhere he was placed in the center for violators of the migration law.
Osechkin states on the website “gulagu.net” that the asylum application procedure has already started.
In Norway, Medvedev is going to testify against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s close ally, “Wagner” manager Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Osechkin has also published a video on YouTube where Medvedev talks about his escape.
“For the first time, during the war against Ukraine, the commander of the “Wagner” unit fled from Russia to Europe and agreed to testify,” writes Osechkin.
Medvedev, a resident of Tomsk, signed a four-month contract with “Wagner” in July 2022. He was sent to Salsk, Rostov region of Russia, and from there – to the occupied Russian territory Ukrainian Luhansk part of the region, where he was appointed as the commander of the 1st division of the 4th platoon of the 7th direct unit of the mercenary formation.
According to Medvedev, he participated in the battles near Bakhmut. Yevgeniis Nuzhins was a prisoner in Medvedev’s department – according to the testimonies, the Wagnerians hit him with a hammer after returning from Ukrainian captivity.
In the middle of December, a video appeared on social networks in which a person posing as the deserter Andrey Medvedev talks about the mockery in the ranks of “Wagner” warriors.
“After my arbitrary departure, the “Wagner” security service began to persecute me, connecting the Federal Security Service, the organs of the Ministry of the Interior to the search. I fear for my life and health,” said Medvedev.
In December, fragments of Medvedeva Osechkin’s interview were published in the “Sibir.Realii” project of “Radio Brīvība”.
