A former mercenary in japanese Ukraine and Syria, Alexander Zlodeyev spent years with the now notorious Wagner group, which he believes was nurtured from the start by the Russian authorities.
“I used to be there for the time being this organisation was created,” Zlodeyev, 53, tells AFP at a centre for newly-arrived asylum seekers in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport.
Slim, with light-coloured eyes and brief gray hair, the previous mercenary joined Wagner between 2014 and 2015, firstly of the grinding battle in Ukraine’s japanese Donbas area between pro-Moscow separatists and troops loyal to Kyiv.
He says he was one of many organisers of the annual “Russian March” bringing collectively political extremists from the far-right to die-hard monarchists, though AFP was not capable of confirm this or different claims Zlodeyev made.
“We bought data that Russian folks have been being killed for talking Russian in Donbas, within the Lugansk area,” he provides.
“So we went to defend the Russians. We have been noticed once we bought there and invited to affix up with Wagner.”
Zlodeyev insists that he himself didn’t take part immediately within the preventing.
“I labored on the headquarters in entrance of a pc, in an workplace working to manage the troops,” he says.
– ‘Very good uniforms’ –
Wagner’s males have been energetic in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic and Mali in recent times.
Critics see it as a shadow power managed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, used to advertise Russian pursuits overseas by offering front-line fighters, trainers and advisors.
The UN, Western governments and assist teams have accused it of atrocities towards civilians.
Kremlin-linked businessman Yegeny Prigozhin in September acknowledged founding Wagner in 2014, calling its personnel “pillars of our motherland”.
However the Russian authorities has all the time denied any ties to paramilitary teams.
“The organisation was created by the defence ministry… the GRU (army intelligence company) gave accountability for Wagner to Prigozhin to deal with,” Zlodeyev stated.
Earlier than then, “there was no organisation that might resolve sure issues by army means outdoors Russian territory,” he provides.
In its early days, Wagner was staffed by “skilled individuals who knew what they have been doing. Skilled troopers, some who had fought in Chechnya, former officers on the defence ministry,” Zlodeyev recollects.
“We bought all of the army uniforms direct from particular warehouses of the GRU. We bought very good uniforms” in addition to salaries paid in money by the intelligence physique, he added.
Months later, Zlodyev was despatched to Syria, the place Wagner took heavy losses because it fought alongside the common Russian military towards the Islamic State group.
– ‘Too many losses’ –
Zlodeyev claims he was in common contact with Prigozhin himself from his perch in Wagner’s headquarters.
“I spoke to him by cellphone in Syria, when Palmyra was captured the primary time. There have been heavy losses. He known as. We needed to be on prime of this type of data minute-by-minute, second-by-second,” he remembers.
On the time, there have been indicators of rising tensions between Prigozhin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as the 2 competed for affect.
“When Wagner liberated Palmyra for the primary time and Putin sang its praises, Shoigu wasn’t too pleased, and the frictions started after that,” Zlodeyev says.
“Provides grew to become very poor and we began getting loads fewer weapons.”
Zlodeyev claims that as a result of “I used to be saying on a regular basis that we have been taking too many losses… that filtered as much as the excessive command at HQ, and I used to be fired.”
His lawyer in France, the place he arrived on October 12 in search of asylum, says Zlodeyev left Wagner round 2017 and sought ought the circle round Alexei Navalny, the opposition chief and anti-corruption campaigner now serving a harsh jail sentence.
Saying he’s now “towards the warfare” in Ukraine, Zlodeyev claims he posted towards Moscow’s February invasion of its neighbour on Russian social networks — to little impact.
“Inside Russia, I can’t struggle the best way I must, that’s why I made a decision to depart,” he says.
Already granted political asylum in France as soon as earlier than, in 2003, earlier than returning to Russia in 2010, Zlodeyev says he has three French youngsters.
