Mikhail Sokolov was 18 when he signed a military contract. Later, after an unsuccessful attempt to desert, he says he was locked in a cage for 19 days.
Sokolov recalls that during that confinement he cried constantly, heard voices, and began experiencing hallucinations. He says the conditions were so severe that he had to relieve himself where he was.
After his release, Sokolov says, people began extorting money from him. In the end, he handed over 2 million rubles.
During his service, he served in reconnaissance, sustained two wounds, and was later transferred to a communications platoon. According to him, he narrowly avoided being sent into an assault unit at the last moment.
At the request of Novaya Gazeta Europe, journalist Irina Novik spoke with Sokolov. The publication presents his account of the war, the punishment he says he endured, and how he ultimately managed to desert.
Sokolov describes his experience as a story of military service, abuse, and an attempt to break out of a system in which, he says, punishment was accompanied by humiliation and followed by extortion.