Two Russian men, claiming to be former commanders of the Wagner Group, have reported killing children and civilians during their service in Ukraine. Their statements were made in video interviews with Gulagu.net, a human rights organization focused on exposing corruption and torture in Russia.
The men, Azamat Uldarov and Alexey Savichev, were pardoned by Russian presidential decrees last year. In their interviews, they recounted directives to “annihilate everyone” in combat zones such as Soledar and Bakhmut, regions that have experienced intense fighting during the ongoing invasion. Uldarov detailed an incident where he shot a young girl, citing orders to eliminate all potential threats.
Uldarov later appeared to recant his statements in a video call with a Russian news agency linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group. Savichev corroborated calls for executing men aged 15 and older and described orders to conduct searches of buildings, emphasizing a disregard for civilian presence.
Prigozhin has publicly threatened to take action against Uldarov and Savichev, affirming that Wagner does not target civilians and claims their testimonies are fabrications. He stated that if any allegations against him are confirmed, he would accept responsibility, but he also argued that those spreading falsehoods would face consequences.
Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, responded to the interviews by calling for accountability, asserting that the confessions of the former fighters underscored the necessity for punishment of war crimes.
Previous reporting has indicated that the Wagner Group, which recruits fighters from Russian prisons, employs extreme methods to maintain control, including executing deserters. In January, the U.S. Treasury Department designated the Wagner Group as a significant transnational criminal organization and imposed sanctions on its infrastructure.
The claims made by Uldarov and Savichev are not independently verified, and while they align with prior testimonies from former Wagner members, they have prompted renewed calls for investigations into the group’s actions in Ukraine.
Source: Reported based on publicly available information from www.cnn.com.
