Alleged Ex-Commanders of Wagner Group Confess to Civilian Deaths in Ukraine, Including Children
Two individuals from Russia, asserting to be former commanders of the Wagner Group, have confessed to a human rights activist about their involvement in the killing of civilians and children during their deployment in Ukraine.
The admissions were recorded in video interviews by Gulagu.net, a human rights body committed to combating corruption and torture in Russia. The individuals, identified as Azamat Uldarov and Alexey Savichev, both former Russian prisoners who were pardoned by presidential decrees last year, detailed their actions during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The authenticity of their identities or the truth of their claims has not been independently confirmed.
Uldarov, who seemed intoxicated during the interview, described an incident where he killed a young girl. He claimed that his superiors had ordered him to kill anyone he encountered.
The confessions were presented to Vladimir Osechkin, the founder of Gulagu.net and a Russian dissident, over a week. The men were reportedly in Russia at the time of the confessions.
Uldarov expressed his wish for Russia and other nations to know the truth, stating that he doesn’t desire war and bloodshed. He acknowledged that he used the same hand he was holding a cigarette with to execute orders and kill children.
The Wagner Group, led by Russian tycoon Yevgeny Prigozhin, is a Russian private mercenary organization currently engaged in Ukraine. It has enlisted thousands of fighters from Russian prisons, promising freedom and money after a six-month deployment. Estimates from Western intelligence officials and prison advocacy groups suggest the group has recruited between 40,000 to 50,000 men.
Uldarov revealed that in the eastern Ukrainian cities of Soledar and Bakhmut, which have experienced intense fighting, Wagner mercenaries were instructed to annihilate everyone. Savichev also confessed to receiving orders to execute all males aged 15 or above.
Savichev further admitted that orders were given to "sweep" houses, regardless of the presence of civilians. He voiced his indifference to who was inside the houses, stating that the objective was to ensure no survivors were left.
In response, Prigozhin acknowledged on his Telegram channel that he had watched parts of the video. He warned of consequences for the former Wagner mercenaries if the allegations against him were proven. However, he asserted that if the claims were unfounded, he would seek a list of people who were smearing his name for a "fair trial".
Andriy Yermak, the chief of the Ukrainian president’s office, stated in a tweet that the group should face justice for their actions.
In the past, the US Treasury Department has designated the Wagner Group as a significant transnational criminal organization and has imposed numerous sanctions on a network supporting it. The US Department of State has also imposed sanctions targeting key aspects of Wagner's operations, as announced by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.