A former Wagner mercenary, Andrei Medvedev, has revealed chilling details about the group’s brutality and disorganization during Russia’s war in Ukraine, in an exclusive interview with CNN from Oslo, Norway, where he is seeking asylum.

Medvedev, 26, said he defected from the Wagner Group after witnessing inhumane practices and the senseless loss of life on the frontlines, particularly around the embattled city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.

“They would gather those who didn’t want to fight and execute them in front of new recruits,” Medvedev alleged. “I saw two prisoners shot and buried in trenches dug by fellow inmates.”

A former Russian soldier, Medvedev joined Wagner in July 2022 and was deployed to Ukraine less than 10 days later. He said he reported directly to Wagner’s high-ranking figures Dmitry Utkin and Yevgeny Prigozhin, describing the latter as “the devil himself.”

“If Prigozhin were a real hero, he would take up arms and fight alongside the troops,” Medvedev said.

Despite his defection, Prigozhin has confirmed Medvedev once served under Wagner, accusing him of trying to mistreat prisoners. In a statement to CNN, Prigozhin insisted that Wagner “follows all the necessary laws and rules of modern warfare.”

Medvedev declined to discuss the specific actions he took while in Ukraine but said his conscience began to turn just six days into deployment.

“More bodies kept piling up. More prisoners arrived. It never stopped,” he said. “Eventually I was leading many men — too many to count.”

He also criticized Wagner’s lack of formal military strategy.

“There were no real tactics,” he said. “We received basic information on enemy positions, but how we proceeded was left to us. We had to figure it out ourselves.”

Medvedev says he narrowly avoided capture several times while fleeing Russia. He crossed into Norway by traversing a frozen lake, using white camouflage to blend into the snowy landscape.

He also disputed Wagner’s promises of financial compensation to families of fallen mercenaries.

“They told us our families would get five million rubles [$71,000] if we died,” he said. “But in truth, many were just declared missing. No one was paid.”

Prigozhin denied these claims, stating that Wagner has fulfilled all insurance payments.

Medvedev became emotional during the interview, expressing admiration for the courage shown by both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers.

“I saw bravery on both sides,” he said. “I just want people to know that.”

He added that his goal now is to bring accountability to Wagner’s leadership and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Eventually, propaganda will stop working. The people will rise. All our leaders will be held accountable, and a new one will take their place.”

Wagner, often referred to as Putin’s private army, has operated in conflict zones across Ukraine, Syria, and parts of Africa, and has been widely accused of human rights abuses.

When asked if he fears ending up like Yevgeny Nuzhin — another Wagner defector who was executed on camera with a sledgehammer — Medvedev replied: “His death didn’t scare me. It made me more determined to leave.”