Medvedev arrived in Norway from Russia on January 13, claiming to possess evidence of war crimes committed by the Wagner forces in Ukraine. He sought asylum in Norway but was seen crossing the Norwegian-Swedish border by bus, looking for cheap cigarettes. Subsequently, Medvedev missed his return bus and was apprehended by Swedish authorities while walking along the roadside. According to his lawyer, Brynjulf Risnes, who spoke to Norwegian Dagbladet on Good Friday, there was a “misunderstanding” regarding his trip to Sweden. Asylum seekers are not authorized to travel to Sweden, thus resulting in his arrest. Both Kripos, the Norwegian national criminal police, and the UN investigative committee, which focuses on Ukraine, are interested in Medvedev’s tales. Nevertheless, the veracity of much of his account of the war is difficult to verify, and his role as a commander within the Wagner forces necessitates further examination given his limited military experience. The Wagner group is a private mercenary organization that has unofficial connections to the Russian state leadership. It is known to have carried out assignments globally for which the Russian state does not want to be held accountable. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has provided the group with a more formal role in competition with the Russian army.
Medvedev arrived in Norway from Russia on January 13. He received a lot of attention because he claims to have evidence of war crimes committed by the Wagner forces in Ukraine. He sought asylum in Norway, but a few days ago he crossed the Norwegian-Swedish border by bus in search of cheap cigarettes, according to Vladimir Osetkinactivist in the group that helped Medvedev get from Russia to Norway.
“A misunderstanding”
The police confirm the deprivation of liberty for DN.
– As far as I know, he was picked up along a road where he was out walking. I have no information about what then happened to him, says Johan Josarp at the police in the West region to the newspaper.
– He thought he could travel to Sweden. Unfortunately, asylum seekers are not entitled to that. He is sorry for this misunderstanding and hopes that he will soon be moved back to Norway, writes the lawyer in a text message to the newspaper, according to Expressen.
There are question marks
Both the Norwegian national criminal police, Kripos, and the UN investigative committee, which focuses on Ukraine, show interest in the Russian’s stories. But there have also been certain question marks surrounding the information he has provided so far.
Much of what Medvedev has told about the war is difficult or impossible to verify in this situation. It is also questioned whether the 26-year-old could have become a commander within Wagner in a short time and with relatively little military experience.
Facts | The Wagner group
The Wagner group is a private mercenary company with unofficial connections to the Russian state leadership.
Its top leader and chief financier is Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former restaurateur from St. Petersburg who has close ties to Vladimir Putin and made a fortune from favorable contracts awarded to him by the Kremlin.
The Wagner group is considered to have been allowed to carry out missions around the world for which the Russian state or army does not want to take responsibility or have to account for.
Wagner was first mentioned in connection with Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014, when soldiers entered there without designation. Later, it has appeared in many countries where Russia seeks influence: Syria, Libya, Sudan, Venezuela, the Central African Republic and others. It is followed by allegations of war crimes.
The Wagner group led a shadowy existence for a long time, but in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has taken a more formal role, alongside and sometimes in some competition with the Russian army.
In October 2022, a formal Wagner headquarters was opened in St. Petersburg.
Source: TT