Former Wagner Group fighter seeks asylum in Norway

Andrey Medvedev says he ran away from Wagner in July after witnessing the killings and mistreatment of different fighters.

A truck displaying "Z", which has develop into a logo in Russia of help for the battle in Ukraine, is parked outdoors the Wagner Group's first official headquarters, which opened in November in St Petersburg [File: Igor Russak/Reuters]

A former fighter who says he fled from Russia’s Wagner mercenary group in July is looking for asylum in Norway, authorities say.

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration and Andrey Medvedev’s lawyer confirmed on Monday that the 26-year-old was looking for safety within the Nordic nation, which shares a 96km (122-mile) land border with Russia.

Medvedev, an orphan who joined the Russian military and served time in jail earlier than becoming a member of the Wagner Group, stated he left after witnessing Wagner deserters being killed.

In a filmed interview launched on Monday by Gulagu.web, the Russian rights group that helped Medvedev escape, he stated: “I'm afraid of dying in agony.”

Norwegian police have been notified of Medvedev’s crossing late on Thursday after Russian border guards discovered traces within the snow, indicating his journey.

Recognized on the time solely as a foreigner, Medvedev was detained by Norwegian border guards, police stated.

In September, a video of a person who resembled the Wagner Group’s founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, appeared to supply prisoners contracts to struggle within the battle in Ukraine.

In it, he's seen saying: “If you happen to arrive in Ukraine and resolve it’s not for you, we'll regard it as desertion and can shoot you. Any questions, guys?”

Within the Gulagu interview, Medvedev says he grew disaffected after Wagner repeatedly prolonged his contract with out his consent and after witnessing the killing and mistreatment of Russian prisoners who have been delivered to struggle.

In November, he stated, he noticed a video that appeared to point out a person who was a part of his unit executed with a sledgehammer.

A press release by the Wagner Group didn't deal with Medvedev’s battlefield claims, however Prigozhin stated in a submit on the Telegram messaging app that Medvedev had labored within the Norwegian unit of the group and had “mistreated prisoners”.

The shadowy mercenary group has taken a number one function within the invasion of Ukraine.

Prigozhin’s fighters just lately introduced the seize of the jap city of Soledar forward of the Russian defence ministry. Its declare, which Ukraine denies, is seen as an obvious bid to increase Wagner’s clout within the Kremlin.

Earlier than the battle, Wagner’s troopers for rent have been preventing internationally, reportedly in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic and different international locations.