STORY: It is Andrei Medvedev’s plea for forgiveness to the victims of the war in Ukraine. The ex-commander of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, who fled to Norway, gave a television interview to the Reuters news agency in Oslo on Wednesday: “Many think I’m a scoundrel, a criminal, a murderer. First of all, I would like to apologize again and again. Although I don’t know how it’s received, I want to say I’m sorry. I want to explain that I’m not that person.” He wants to talk about his experiences during the war so that “the perpetrators are punished,” says Medvedev. According to his own statements, the Russian ex-mercenary came to Wagner in July 2022 with a four-month contract. During this time he witnessed how two people who did not want to fight were shot in front of the newly recruited convicts. The 26-year-old fled to Norway in January, where he is now seeking asylum. Reuters was not able to immediately verify his claims in the interview. Wagner initially did not respond to a request for comment. Entrepreneur Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mercenary group is notorious for its ruthlessness – not only towards the enemy and the civilian population, but also towards its own people. Originally, the Wagner troupe consisted of veterans of the Russian armed forces. However, the government has allowed Prigozhin to recruit convicts. The agreement: impunity for military action.