Convicted of selling drugs and ostracized by his family, he endured abuse from guards and frequent spells in solitary confinement at a high-security Russian prison.
He told a friend he felt alone and racked with guilt.
Then, in the summer of 2022, Mr. Mokin and other inmates in Penal Colony No.
He offered freedom and money, even as he warned that the price for many would be death.
Mr. Mokin and 196 other inmates enlisted the same day.
Persons:
Aleksandr Mokin, Mokin, Yevgeny V, fatigues, Wagner, “, ” Mr
Organizations:
Penal, The New York Times
Locations:
Chelyabinsk, Ukraine