A soldier who picked up his pen

Arkady Babchenko was drafted into the Russian Army in 1995 to fight in the First Chechen War. He was 18. During training, in accordance with tradition, he and his fellow recruits were beaten and tortured by their superiors. Some died. At the front, Babchenko witnessed unimaginable brutality and occasional acts of courage, even humanity. In 1999, he volunteered to fight ... (Full article: 993 words)

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