But what about “Prigozhin’s sledgehammer”: the Exwagnerian tried to return to Russia after fleeing to Norway

Former Wagnerite tried to escape to Russia/Collage 24 Channel

Former Wagnerite Andrei Medvedev deserted from the Wagner PMC and fled from Russia to Norway because he feared for his life. Now Medvedev was detained while trying to return to Russia.

Norwegian police detained ex-commander of the Wagner PMC Andrei Medvedev while trying to illegally cross the border with Russia. He was stopped on the evening of September 22 in the village of Grense Jakobselv on the border with Russia.

Former Wagnerite was detained at the border

A former Wagnerite tried to cross the border in the dark and get to the Kola Peninsula.

Police of the Finnmark region confirmed to the Norwegian journalists that a man aged about 20 years old had been detained and would be charged with violating border rules.

Officially, law enforcement officials did not disclose the name and nationality of the detainee, but confirmed that he was planning to leave Norway for Russia.< /p>

Medvedev feared extradition to Ukraine and looked worried

As the publication writes, the attempt to cross the border took place just a few hours after Medvedev met with a Barents Observer journalist in the center of Kirkenes.

The 27-year-old former Wagner fighter is reported to have said that he intends to cross the border and that he is looking for someone to give him a lift.

The Barents Observer notes that the former Wagnerian seemed nervous, but at the same time calm and determined. According to the publication, Medvedev seemed to fear extradition to Ukraine, so he believed that returning to Russia was a safer alternative.

As the Barents Observer writes, shortly after the conversation, the former Wagnerian apparently managed to get to Grense Jakobselv , 50 kilometers from Kirkenes. At this point, Norway and Russia are separated only by a small shallow river.

It is unclear how Medvedev got to this area. Public transport does not go to the border river.

What is known about the former Wagnerian Medvedev

• In January 2023, Medvedev’s story about fleeing to Norway received wide publicity. He turned to a human rights project to help him escape from Russia, since Medvedev was afraid of persecution from Wagner.
• The former commander of the 1st squad of the 4th platoon of the 7th assault detachment of the Wagner PMC requested political asylum, after which he placed in a center for violators of immigration laws in Oslo. He allegedly agreed to testify against Prigozhin.
• Subsequently, information appeared that Medvedev would be detained and could be deported. Russian human rights activists demanded that Medvedev not be deported, since he faces murder in Russia.
• According to media reports, at the beginning of July 2022, Medvedev, a resident of the Tomsk region, entered into a contract with the Wagner PMC for four months. Medvedev said that he took part in the battles near Bakhmut.