Andrey Medvedev

Andrey Aleksandrovich Medvedev (; born 16 August 1996 ), sometimes written as Andrei Medvedev, is a former Wagner Group commander. Medvedev became the first Wagner person to defect, seeking asylum in Norway on 13 January 2023.

His life Medvedev grew up in Tomsk, Siberia, spending some of that time in an orphanage. According to Medvedev, he spent several years imprisoned for robbery and a year in military service in Donbas in 2014. after agreeing to a four-month contract He fought in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine,

Medvedev deserted from Wagner Group in November 2022.

Defection and arrests At about 2 a.m. on 13 January 2023, Medvedev crossed the Norway-Russia border near the Pasvikdalen and was detained by the Norwegian police and soldiers from the Norwegian border guard,

Medvedev's escape was supported by the Russian human-rights organisation Gulagu.net. He was released later and said that he "only wanted to visit the Norwegian-Russian border areas in connection with a documentary project."