A man claiming to be a Russian military commander defects to Norway

The World

A man who claims to be a commander from the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary group fighting in Ukraine, has fled to Norway. He told a Russian human rights activist that he was shot at and chased by dogs during his escape. He says he is prepared to testify against the Wagner Group’s founder and leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, about extrajudicial executions committed by members of the mercenary group. The World’s Marco Werman speaks with Pierre Vaux, an expert on the Wagner Group, about the significance of the man’s defection and the mercenary group’s role in Russian military and foreign policy. 

Will you support The World today?

The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!