NORWAY: A former commander of the Wagner mercenary group, Andrei Medvedev, has been arrested in Norway on suspicion of attempting to illegally cross the border back into Russia after seeking asylum in Norway earlier this year. Medvedev, who escaped Russia in January via its Arctic border with Norway, has claimed that he fled as Russian guards fired shots at him. He has also spoken publicly about his time fighting in Ukraine as part of the Wagner group.
Norwegian police, in a statement issued late on Friday, confirmed the arrest of a man in his 20s for attempting to illegally cross the Russian border but did not disclose his identity. An officer from the Finnmark local police declined to provide further details about the detained individual.
The arrest appears to have resulted from a misunderstanding, according to Medvedev’s Norwegian lawyer, Brynjulf Risnes. Risnes explained, “He was up there to see if he could find the place where he crossed (into Norway in January). He was stopped when he was in a taxi. He was never near the border … It was never his intention to cross the border (into Russia).”
When Medvedev initially arrived in Norway, he sought asylum, expressing fears for his life due to his purported witnessing of the killing and mistreatment of Russian prisoners brought to the frontline in Ukraine.
Medvedev’s Escape to Norway from Russia
Medvedev’s escape in January garnered international attention as a rare example of an individual defecting to a Western country while claiming to have fought for Russia as a mercenary in the Ukraine war. However, in May, he posted a video on YouTube stating his desire to return to Russia, despite the potential risks to his life, describing himself as “some kind of a boy in a big game” that he no longer wished to be a part of.
Risnes affirmed that Medvedev had the right to return to Russia if he so desired but cautioned that “a lot of changes need to happen” in order to ensure a safe return.
In April, Andrei Medvedev faced legal consequences in Norway, receiving a conviction for involvement in a bar fight and carrying an air gun. However, he was acquitted of committing violence against police during the incident. At the time, he expressed hopes for asylum and looked forward to the future.
It’s important to note that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner group, was killed on August 23 in a private jet crash under unexplained circumstances. This event occurred just two months after he briefly sent his mercenaries advancing on Moscow in a direct challenge to the Russian establishment.
