Andrey Aleksandrovich Medvedev (Russian: Андрей Александрович Медведев; born 16 August 1996[1]), sometimes written as Andrei Medvedev, is a former Wagner Group commander. Medvedev became the first Wagner person to defect, seeking asylum in Norway on 13 January 2023.
His life
Medvedev grew up in Tomsk, Siberia, spending some of that time in an orphanage.[2] According to Medvedev, he spent several years imprisoned for robbery and a year in military service in Donbas in 2014.[2]
Medvedev worked as a commander for Wagner Group,[3] after agreeing to a four month contract[2] on 6 July 2022, he told CNN.[4] He fought in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine,[4] stating that he "fought in Bakhmut, commanding the first squad of the 4th platoon of the 7th assault detachment" and that he left Wagner later in July.[5]
Medvedev deserted from Wagner Group in November 2022.[6]
Defection and arrests
At about 2 a.m. on 13 January 2023, Medvedev crossed the Norway-Russia border near the Pasvikdalen and was detained by the Norwegian police and soldiers from the Norwegian border guard,[7][5] thus becoming the first known Wagner Group member to defect.[3] Upon arrival in Norway, Medvedev shared accounts of executions of Wagner deserters and acts that he described as terror-related.[3] Medvedev stated that he feared being murdered with a sledgehammer, in a similar manner to Wagner defector Yevgeny Nuzhin.[4] He reported that he had twice tried to seek asylum in Finland, prior to reaching Norway.[4] Wagner Group released a statement claiming that Medvedev had abused prisoners.[8]
Medvedev's escape was supported by the Russian human-rights organisation Gulagu.net.[1]
Two weeks later, Medvedev was arrested under Norway's Immigration Act and held in detention in Oslo,[3] before being released.[2] Members of the Ukrainian diaspora in Oslo have protested Medvedev's freedom in Norway and called for his prosecution.[2]
In September 2023, Medvedev was arrested by the police at Grense Jakobselv, allegedly for attempting to illegally cross the Norwegian-Russian border.[9] He was released later and said that he "only wanted to visit the Norwegian-Russian border areas in connection with a documentary project."[10]
References
- ^ a b Oda Eggesbø Ottesen (17 January 2023). "Russar seier han var leigesoldat: – Får ikkje flyktningstatus om han er skuldig i krigsbrotsverk" [Russian says he was a mercenary: Will not get refugee status if guilty of war crimes] (in Norwegian). NRK. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Seminoff, Corinne; Stewart, Briar (3 February 2023). "He chose to fight for Russia in Ukraine. So why did this mercenary defect?". CBC News. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d Murphy, Matt; Chatterjee, Phelan (23 January 2023). "Andrey Medvedev: Russian Wagner mercenary who fled to Norway arrested". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d Krebs, Mick; Krever, Katharina (16 January 2023). "Former Wagner commander flees to Norway and seeks asylum". CNN. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ a b Sauer, Pjotr (17 January 2023). "Former Wagner Group commander who fled to Norway feared for his life". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ "Wagner Commander Who Fled Russia Details Summary Executions". The Moscow Times. 31 January 2023. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ Persen, Kjell. "Hanne (26) ledet oppdraget da Wagner-avhopperen flyktet til Norge" (in Norwegian). TV2.no. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ "'I am afraid of dying in agony': Ex-Wagner fighter seeks asylum". Al Jazeera. 17 January 2023. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ Staalesen, Atle; Nilsen, Thomas. ""Andrei Medvedev had no intention to cross the border to Russia"". The Barents Observer. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ Staalesen, Atle; Nilsen, Thomas. ""Andrei Medvedev had no intention to cross the border to Russia"". The Barents Observer. Retrieved 26 September 2023.