Russian man claiming to be Wagner deserter on trial in Norway

A Russian man claiming to be a deserter from the Kremlin-linked Wagner mercenary group on Tuesday went on trial in Oslo over a street fight in the centre of the capital.

Wearing a beige shirt and pants, Andrei Medvedev pleaded guilty to participating in a brawl outside a bar in February, resisting arrest and carrying an air gun three weeks later.

The 26-year-old, who is seeking asylum in Norway, denied assaulting officers at the police station in the early hours of February 22.

Medvedev claims to have fought in Ukraine as a member of Wagner for four months before deserting in November when the group allegedly extended his contract against his will.

A potentially valuable witness in shedding light on the group’s reported brutality in Ukraine, Medvedev has been questioned by Norwegian authorities since arriving in the country.

In particular, he claims to have knowledge of Wagner’s executions of mercenaries who refused to return to combat and says he has a video showing this.

A headache

Since his arrival in Norway, he has been a headache for the country’s authorities.

He was briefly arrested in January for refusing to follow restrictions imposed by police, according to his lawyer.

He was also briefly detained in neighbouring Sweden in early March. His lawyer said he had crossed the border to buy cigarettes, which are cheaper there, without knowing he could not leave the country while his asylum application was being processed.

Many questions remain about Medvedev’s past and the circumstances of his escape. Some experts have said he could not have crossed the heavily guarded border without assistance.

He claims to have dashed across the frozen Pasvik river that marks part of the Russian-Norwegian border while being chased by attack dogs and Russian border guards, who fired at him. 

AFP has not independently confirm his account.