BY ANDREW
STANTON ON 1/17/23 AT 12:25 PM EST
Above, an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a mural showing Wagner Group mercenaries. As Putin relies on the Wagner Group to help his floundering invasion of Ukraine, ex-Commander Andrei Medvedev revealed his reason for fleeing the paramilitary group in an interview with The Guardian.CONTRIBUTOR/GETTY IMAGES ;OLIVER BUNIC/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Wagner Group Commander Andrei Medvedev revealed the reason he
fled his unit in the mercenary army, which continues to assist Russia in its
ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched
the Ukraine "special military operation" on February 24, 2022, aiming
for a quick victory against his Eastern European neighbor, whose military was
perceived as much smaller than his own. However, after nearly 11 months of
combat, Russia has struggled to achieve substantial military gains,
allowing Ukraine to retake control of key areas throughout the fall and winter.
Amid mounting losses, Putin has relied on the Wagner Group to
bolster his military, sending the paramilitary organization into key battles in
hopes of turning the tide of the war in his favor.
The Wagner Group, founded by Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been
viewed as being aligned with Putin for years—though the Kremlin has sought to
distance itself from the group, which is known for allegedly disregarding human
rights. In recent weeks, they have made headlines for leading Russian advances in Soledar and Bakhmut.
Medvedev,
who served in a leadership post in the organization, has fled the Wagner Group and is now seeking asylum in Norway. He crossed the border last
Thursday and is reportedly prepared to testify against Prigozhin. In a newly
published interview with The Guardian, Medvedev
explained his reasons for leaving the group.
He told the British newspaper he "grew disaffected"
with the organization after witnessing at least 10 killings of pro-Russia
soldiers who allegedly disobeyed commands, as well as the treatment of Russian
prisoners.
"The commanders took them to a shooting field and they were
shot in front of everyone. Sometimes one guy was shot, sometimes they would be
shot in pairs," he told the publication.
Medvedev said the alleged abuse "shocked us to the
core."
He said he decided to flee last July after his contract was
renewed without his consent and that he is "scared for [his] life"
for speaking out against the mercenary group.
Sean McFate, a senior fellow
for the Atlantic Council, told Newsweek on
Tuesday that he was unsurprised to see Medvedev flee, as troops have realized
they are "cannon fodder" for the Russian military, as well as amid
growing concerns about how Wagner troops are disciplined.
"The way Wagner maintains discipline in the ranks is not by
court marshal or a counseling statement," he said. "They do it via
sledgehammer—literally."
Medvedev Could Face Threat if More
Wagner Troops Follow: McFate
Amid Medvedev's concerns that he could be at risk due to his
public defection from Wagner, McFate said he has a "legitimate
concern," though he isn't certain Wagner will "go after"
Medvedev. He said a response could be triggered if more fighters follow suit.
"If this guy's defection—which is now very international
news—inspires other people in Wagner to do the same thing, then it's possible
Wagner might send a team to kidnap him, drag him back in and explode his head
via sledgehammer as a message that you can run, but you can't hide,"
McFate said.
While McFate expects that Norway could make a deal requiring
Medvedev to cooperate with international war crime trials, he cast doubt that
Russia would care about any rebuke to his testimony, as they generally
disregard international law.
"But he's going to make some noise," he said.
"And it's not for nothing either."
Javed Ali, a University of
Michigan professor specializing in international policy and diplomacy, told Newsweek he
was also unsurprised by Medvedev's remarks, pointing to "the level of
recklessness and brutality of the Wagner Group."
"The Wagner Group's
paramilitary nature and disregard of international human rights and acceptable
standards of military conduct also demonstrate the depths Putin's regime will
pursue, regardless of the destructive nature of their actions," he wrote
in a statement to Newsweek.
Newsweek reached
out to the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment.
https://www.newsweek.com/wagner-group-fighter-andrei-medvedev-reveals-what-made-him-flee-1774420
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