CNN
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Two Russians who claim to be former commander of the Wagner Group told a human rights activist that they killed children and civilians in their time Ukraine.
These claims were proposed in a video interview with Gulagu.net, a human rights organization targeting corruption and torture Russia.
According to Gulagu.net, in a video interview posted online, former Russian criminals Azamat Uldarov and Alexey Savichev, who were pardoned by the Russian presidential election last year.
CNN cannot independently verify its claims or identity in the video, but has obtained Russian penalties documents showing that they were released on presidential pardons in September and August 2022.
Uldarov seemed to be drinking all the time, detailing how he shot and killed a five- or six-year-old girl.
“It’s a management decision. I don’t allow anyone to live because my order is to kill anything in my way,” he said.
According to Gulagu.net, the testimony was given to the founder and Russian dissident Vladimir Osechkin in the course of a week. It said that Uldarov and Savichev were speaking in Russia.
“I hope Russia and other countries know the truth. I don’t want to fight and bleed. You’ll see me holding a cigarette in this hand. I followed this hand to order and killed the child,” Urdarov described his motivation for the interview.
Wagner Group is a Russian private mercenary organization led by Russian oligarchs Yevgeny Prigozhin.
It has Recruiting thousands of warriors From a Russian prison, Freedom and cash available After six months of tour. Western intelligence officials and prison advocacy groups estimate that 40,000 to 50,000 men were recruited.
Urdarov in the city in eastern Ukraine says Soledar and Bakhmut – saw some The most intense battle – Wagner Mercenaries “are granted to annihilate all.”
He added: “There is a superior commander – Prigozhin, who told us not to let anyone get out of there and annihilate everyone.” CNN has Previous reports Similar claims were made on the former Wagner fighter.
Uldarov seems to have since Retreat his account In a video call with Prigozhin-linked Russian news agency RIA-Fan.
At one point in the interview, Savichev described how they “ordered to execute anyone over 15 years old.”
He also talked about the order to “sweep” the house. “It doesn’t matter if there are civilians there. The house needs to be swept. I didn’t give it to the people inside,” he said.
“Whether it’s a hut or a house, the key is to make sure that no one living remains,” he said. “You can condemn me for this. I won’t object. It’s your right. But I want to live too.”
Savchev said the Wagner fighter plane that did not follow the order was killed.
Prigozhin, head of Wagner Group, confirmed on his telegram channel that he had watched part of the video and threatened retribution for the two former Wagner fighters. “As for what (Osechkin) shot, I looked at the video I managed to see,” he said. “I can say the following: If there is at least one confirmation of my allegation, I am ready to be held accountable under any law.”
But Prigozhin said: “If it is not confirmed, I will send a list of 30-40 people who spit on me like Osechkin (there is the entire list, including the scum who fled Russia), and the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office is obliged to hand me over to me for a “fair trial.”
“For us, they will not be “civilians” and especially children we have never touched, they will not touch. It is a blatant lie. These people (spreading lies) are our enemies and we will deal with them in a special way.”
Prigozhin earlier said in a telegram: “About the execution of children, of course, no one shot civilians or children, absolutely no one needed that. We came there to save them from the regime they were in.”
Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, said in a tweet on Monday that the organization must be held accountable.
Russian terrorists admitted to Ukrainian child murders in Bachmut and Soledad. Writing guilty is not enough. There must be punishment. Strong and fair. And certainly will. How many other types of crimes are there? ” he said.
CNN February Talk to two former Wagner fighters Who described how to push the Wogner criminals to the frontlines of the human wave, reminiscent of the charges of World War I. They said deserters, or those who refused orders, were killed, and those who were injured were evacuated.
In January, the U.S. Treasury designated Wagner Group as Important transnational criminal organizationsand a series of new sanctions are imposed on the transnational networks that support it.
The U.S. State Department announced a number of major infrastructure aimed at “targeting a range of Wagner’s main infrastructure, including the airlines used by Wagner’s advocacy group Wagner, and an airline from Wagner Front.”
