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Andrei Medvedev is a former commander of Russia's Wagner Group, a private paramilitary organization accused of human rights violations—most recently in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) confirmed on Monday that Medvedev, 26, had fled to Norway and is seeking asylum. The directorate did not provide more details.
In an interview published by rights group Gulagu.net, the former mercenary said he crossed Russia's Arctic border with Norway, where he had to climb through barbed-wire fences and escape a border patrol with dogs. He said he heard guards firing shots as he sprinted through a forest and over thin and breaking ice into Norway.
Medvedev is the first person to have served in the Wagner Group and defected to the West.
He said crossed the border into Norway near the Pasvikdalen valley shortly before 2 a.m. last Friday, where he was arrested by border guards.
The escapee's Norwegian lawyer said that he was now in the "Oslo area" but did not provide further details.
"What is important for him (Medvedev) is that immigration authorities clarify his status as soon as possible," said his attorney Brynjulf Risnes.
He told the BBC that his client is facing charges of illegally entering Norway.
Newsweek has contacted Risnes for comment.
Founded in 2014, the Wagner Group is a group of private mercenaries, believed to constitute about 10 percent of Russia's forces in Ukraine. It has also taken part in conflicts in Syria, Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic.
What Andrei Medvedev Has Revealed About Wagner Group
Medvedev joined the group on July 6 last year on a four-month contract. In the interview with Gulagu.net, he said he feared for his life after refusing to continue fighting for the group founded and financed by Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The rights group said it helped Medvedev leave Russia.
Medvedev, an orphan who joined the Russian army and served time in prison before joining the Wagner Group, said he absconded after witnessing deserters of the group being executed.
Medvedev said that after he finished his contract, it was extended several times without his consent.
He refused to serve another term, he said, adding that he was afraid of being executed in a similar way to Yevgeny Nuzhin, another Wagner defector who in November was killed on camera with a sledgehammer.
Prigozhin issued a statement in response to Medvedev fleeing to Norway, accusing the fugitive of mistreating prisoners.
"Be careful, he's very dangerous," Prigozhin said in a statement released by his spokeswoman. He did not provide any details about his allegation.
About the writer
Jack Dutton is a Newsweek Reporter based in Cape Town, South Africa. His focus is reporting on global politics and ... Read more