A Russian individual who previously confessed to committing acts of violence, including the killing of children and civilians, while serving with the Wagner private military company in Ukraine, has seemingly retracted his statements, suggesting that he was coerced into making them.
Azamat Uldarov, a former convict, recanted his earlier claims during a video call with the Russian news agency RIA-FAN. The circumstances surrounding the interview and any potential conditions attached to it remain unclear.
Uldarov, along with another former convict named Alexey Savichev, had previously provided lengthy and disjointed interviews to the Russian human rights group Gulagu.net, where they claimed to be among the many Wagner fighters recruited from Russian prisons to participate in the conflict in Ukraine.
During his conversation with Gulagu founder Vladimir Osechkin, Uldarov admitted to shooting and killing a young girl, referring to it as a “management decision.” He further stated that he was under strict orders to eliminate anyone who crossed his path, estimating the victim’s age to be around five or six years old.
However, in his interview with RIA-FAN, which has ties to Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, Uldarov alleged that he was intoxicated when he made the previous statements and accused Osechkin of blackmailing him regarding his past incarceration.
When asked by RIA-FAN if he was coerced into making the statements in the video, Uldarov responded affirmatively, claiming he had no choice but to comply with the demands placed upon him.
“I uttered whatever I was instructed to say,” Uldarov emphasized, retracting his previous admissions.
He went on to express gratitude towards Prigozhin, referring to him as a “great guy” and indicating that Prigozhin had saved their lives.
However, Gulagu’s Osechkin, based in France, maintained the integrity of his interviews with Uldarov and Savichev, citing Uldarov’s retraction as evidence of the swift suppression of dissenting voices in Russia.
Osechkin also alleged that both men had been threatened with violence if they did not retract their statements, with Savichev disclosing that his unit had been ordered to eliminate any males aged 15 or older.