Andrei Medvedev, a former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, apologized for fighting in Ukraine, saying the brutality he witnessed there ultimately pushed him to defect and flee to Norway
Asked about other incidents he witnessed, he said he could not comment on them at this stage as a Norwegian police investigation about war crimes was ongoing.Kripos, Norway's national criminal police service, which has responsibility for investigating war crimes,He has a status as a witness and is not suspected of anything apart from the illegal border crossing. Medvedev said he had nothing to hide from the police, adding "I did not commit any crimes, I was just a combatant".
At Wagner, Medvedev said he led a squad, taking orders from a platoon commander and planning combat missions. He said he saw "acts of courage from both sides".Andrei Medvedev, a former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group poses for a picture during an interview in Oslo, Norway February 1, 2023. REUTERS/Janis LaizansMedvedev said he was scared that he could be executed by someone on his own side at any time.
Medvedev said he fled Russia last month over the Arctic border, climbing through barbed-wire fences and evading a border patrol with dogs, hearing Russian guards firing shots as he ran through a forest and over the frozen river that separates the two countries.Medvedev was born in the region of Tomsk in Siberia. He said he was placed in an orphanage when he was around age 12, after the death of his mother and the disappearance of his father.
Medvedev said he hadn't been recruited straight out of the prison, but decided to join because he realised he would likely be mobilised in the regular Russian armed forces anyway.
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