Two Russians claiming to be former Wagner commanders admit killing children and civilians in Ukraine

CNN — Two Russian men who claim to be former Wagner Group commanders have told a human rights activist that they killed children and civilians during their time in Ukraine. The claims were made in video interviews with Gulagu.net, a human rights organization targeting corruption and torture in Russia. In the video interviews posted online, former Russian convicts Azamat Uldarov and Alexey Savichev – who were both pardoned by Russian presidential decrees last year, according to Gulagu.net – described their actions in Ukraine, during Russia’s invasion. CNN cannot independently verify their claims or identities in the videos but has obtained Russian penal documents showing they were released on presidential pardon in September and August of 2022. Uldarov, who appears to have been drinking, details how he shot and killed a five- or six-year-old girl. “(It was) a management decision. I wasn’t allowed to let anyone out alive, because my command was to kill anything in my way,” he said. According to Gulagu.net, the testimonies were given to founder and Russian dissident Vladimir Osechkin over the span of a week. It said Uldarov and Savichev were in Russia when they spoke. “I want Russia and other nations to know the truth.