Andrey Medvedev: How Russian mercenary made an icy escape to Norway - BBC

As Andrey Medvedev dashed towards the distant Russia-Norway border, helium could perceive the dependable of onslaught dogs snarling down him.

Their accomplishment meant the men hunting him were closing in. But the borderline - and the Western satellite - were successful reach.

Two months earlier, the 26-year-old had deserted from the Russian mercenaries, the Wagner Group. He was astir to go the archetypal of their troops to defect to the West.

Founded successful 2014, the Wagner Group is tally by the businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin. It is believed to marque up astir 10% of Russia's forces successful Ukraine, and has conducted operations successful Syria, Libya and Mali.

The group, and its often inhumane methods, are present internationally known. But accusation astir however it operates - and however it is funded - has remained down a veil of secrecy. Medvedev's flight could let Western quality officers to teardrop that veil away.

Why helium chose to defect done Norway is unclear. The frozen tundra wherever Russia meets Nato is 1 of the astir heavy guarded borderline regions successful the world.

Watchtowers, staffed with soldiers, person beardown searchlights to interruption done the wintertime Arctic gloom. Teams connected some sides equine regular patrols.

But successful a video released by the Russian quality rights radical Gulagu, the erstwhile Wagner commandant recalls sneaking past those watchtowers. All the while, helium claims, the Russian troops hunting him were gaining ground.

At astir 2am section clip connected Friday, Medvedev says helium yet scrambled implicit the barbed ligament guarding the Norwegian borderline arsenic Russian guards closed in.

As helium climbed, helium says helium could perceive dogs down him. And, arsenic spotlights from the defender towers picked him up, the shrill whistle of Russian bullets changeable past him, helium claims.

After scrambling past the wire, Medvedev ran towards a wood - the Norwegian wood - successful the anticipation of uncovering idiosyncratic to assistance him.

Moving done the woodland, Medvedev says helium saw lights connected tiny colony successful the region - astir 2 kilometres away. He ran toward the light.

He was excessively acrophobic to look down him, helium says, frightened the dogs pursuing him had besides navigated the fence.

He banged connected the archetypal doorway helium came to. After pleading with locals successful breached English to telephone the authorities, helium was detained by Norwegian borderline guards.

His travel - from worker successful Russia's brutal penetration of Ukraine, to the comparative information of the West - was over.

Before his accomplishment in, and defection from Ukraine, Medvedev had not lived a peculiarly antithetic life.

After serving a little play successful the Russian service - arsenic astir each 18-year-olds indispensable - helium was jailed for a abbreviated play successful astir 2017, Gulagu.net laminitis Vladimir Osechkin told the BBC. His offence is not known, though immoderate reports accidental it was theft.

But it was Russia's convulsive penetration of Ukraine that changed his life.

As the struggle approached stalemate, and Russia tried to capable the gaps created by mounting casualties, the Wagner Group started to enlistee heavily.

Medvedev, apt induced by the imaginable of a dependable wage, signed a four-month declaration connected 6 July until 6 November. Wagner recruits are reportedly paid astir $10,000 (£8,186) per month, acold much than the modular Russian salary.

As a antheral with erstwhile subject experience, Medvedev was appointed a portion commandant successful the eastbound Donbas region.

Mr Osechkin told the BBC that Wagner supplied Medvedev with astir 30-40 troops per week, galore of them convicts recruited from Russian prisons.

Much of the astir aggravated warring successful Ukraine successful the past six months has occurred successful the Donbas, and Wagner is believed to beryllium heavy progressive successful 2 of the bloodiest battles - successful Soledar and Bakhmut.

Medvedev's lawyer successful Norway, Brynjulf Risnes, told the BBC that Medvedev witnessed a big of warfare crimes - including seeing "deserters being executed" by the Wagner Group's interior information service.

And Mr Osechkin said Medvedev decided to permission Wagner aft witnessing the group's "terroristic methods".

"He gave to maine grounds astir what helium saw successful the war," helium said, "and however the peculiar forces of Wagner Group termination Russians who don't privation to combat against Ukraine."

In November 2022, Medvedev was told that, contempt completing his four-month contract, the radical had decided unilaterally to widen his service. It was unclear for however long.

This seems to person been the last straw for Medvedev. "In abbreviated helium felt betrayed and wanted to permission arsenic soon arsenic possible," Mr Risnes told the BBC.

After fleeing Ukraine and returning to Russia, Medvedev entered a Wagner recruiting centre successful the Russian metropolis of St Petersburg wherever helium returned his canine tags. This appears to person attracted the group's attention.

"When helium near Wagner Group, the information bureau of Wagner did a batch of things to find him and helium was astatine hazard of dying," Mr Osechkin said.

With information agents searching for him, Medvedev was forced to spell into hiding to debar the brutal benignant of retribution helium had seen the radical enforce upon deserters successful Ukraine.

It was astatine this constituent that helium approached Gulagu.net - an exiled quality rights organisation - for help.

"When helium was astatine hazard of dying, his person wrote a missive to Gulagu and to me, to assistance prevention Andrey's life," helium added. "We did thing past to assistance him to permission Russia."

After attempting to transverse doubly into Finland, Medvedev travelled to Russia's acold northbound and made the transition crossed the Norwegian border.

As the communicative broke connected Friday, Wagner main Mr Prigozhin issued a sarcastic connection claiming Medvedev is simply a Norwegian national who led a non-existent portion from the Scandinavian nation.

A representation of Medvedev's passport shared with the BBC showed helium is so a Russian national from a colony successful the cardinal state of Tomsk.

Mr Risnes told the BBC helium believes the erstwhile mercenary had taken immoderate grounds of warfare crimes with him to Norway, and that helium intends to stock his accusation with groups investigating warfare crimes.

While the worth of Medvedev's grounds could beryllium invaluable to aboriginal warfare crimes investigators, it is apt to beryllium Western spies who are genuinely excited to get their hands connected the mercenary.

His experiences, and his portion successful Russia's bloody invasion, could assistance shed airy connected the group's operations astir the world.

But for now, Medvedev remains successful custody successful the Oslo area, waiting to perceive the result of his asylum exertion - acold distant from the struggle that changed his life, and changeable his sanction into the headlines.