According to a message that was posted on Telegram, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin named Prigozhin is being accused of “waging an aggressive war” and “encroaching on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine.” According to the statement, members of the group’s fighting force who defected “will not dodge responsibility.”
“Prosecutors have already questioned two fighters of this kind who are currently located in the EU. According to the statement, “an inquiry into the involvement in war crimes of another PMK member, who is in Norway, is currently underway.” Andrey Medvedev, a former commander of the Wagner group who escaped to Norway from Russia last month after being involved in fighting in Ukraine, is currently being questioned by Norwegian law enforcement. In an interview with the news agency Reuters earlier this week, President Medvedev explained that he was speaking out against the Wagner organization in order to ensure that those responsible would be brought to justice. The police have stated that “Medvedev gives the sense that he wants to continue to say more” regarding his time spent with Wagner. In addition, security procedures have been established to ensure Medvedev’s safety, and they said that these steps include “both visible and non-visible” precautions. However, they did not provide any further details. It is believed that another former Wagner fighter, Marat Gabidullin, is currently residing in France in the hopes of receiving asylum there.
The hitherto obscure militia has emerged as a significant player in the invasion of Ukraine and is linked to the violent conflict for Bakhmut in the east of the country. Late in the month of January, the United States government labelled the Russian mercenary group known as Wagner as a “transnational criminal organization,” thereby increasing the amount of pressure placed on the private army that has recruited tens of thousands of Russian prisoners to fight in Ukraine.
