Sergei Kulikov, who was mobilized from the Sakhalin Region, told ASTRA that he had been beaten and threatened to be killed at the front. After leaving the unit on his own, he appeared before the Investigative Committee, became involved in a criminal case on leaving the unit on his own, received a suspended sentence, and was again threatened with being sent to the same unit where he was beaten. Now a new criminal case has been opened against Kulikov — he faces a real prison sentence. He has five minor children and a pregnant wife. He tells ASTRA that he doesn’t know where else to go: “I’m like a hostage.”
Kulikov told ASTRA that on October 12, 2022, he was mobilized without a medical examination and sent to military unit No. 35390 for training. In January 2023, he was sent to war. In November of the same year, he suffered a throat injury when an armored vehicle was blown up. In February 2024, Kulikov was admitted to the hospital — doctors diagnosed him with a median cyst of the neck and operated him. After a month of additional treatment, he returned to the front.
On July 28, 2024, Kulikov suffered a concussion and loss of consciousness during a mortar attack. According to him, they he was not provided with medical care — commander “Bizon” told him: “There were no necessary drugs.” The next day, he was transferred to the “gray zone” to the commander, and then beaten.
Kulikov told ASTRA that the commander with the call sign “Bizon”, presumably Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel Mosalev, the battalion commander, had struck him at least 10 times with a rubber baton, including on the head. Kulikov recorded the traces of the beating in the photo and recorded video messages. After the beating, he said, Mosalev said, “If you don’t come back now, I’ll kill you, bitch.”
Kulikov did not receive medical assistance. They forced him to take two grenade launchers and go to the storm.
“I knew I wouldn’t make it back in this state,— Kulikov told ASTRA. — The enemy will kill me. And if I stay, my own will kill me.”
Kulikov left the war zone. With the help of his colleagues, he contacted his wife, recorded video messages, and was helped to move to Donetsk. On August 5, his wife flew to pick him up, brought his passport — Kulikov did not have his documents, they were being held in a unit — and the couple returned to Sakhalin. 12 days later, Kulikov turned himself in to the Investigative Committee. He was tried for unauthorized abandonment of the unit — he was given four years of probation with a two-year probation period (the documents are at the disposal of the editorial office).
Kulikov told ASTRA that in February 2025, he was received an order to return to the front in the same unit. He refused: “He referred to the threat to his life. The command knew everything, but purposefully sent me back to the same people.”
Now a new criminal case is being opened against him for refusing to comply with the order. The trial is scheduled for May 5.
According to Kulikov, no witnesses from his unit were interviewed, although Mikhail, a contract soldier, confirmed the fact of the beating in a personal conversation with him and mentioned that Bison threatened other servicemen with “zeroing out”, and possibly deprived them of their lives. Later, Mikhail evaded giving evidence and meeting with lawyers — and then he deserted, Kulikov claims.
“No one questioned me,” his colleagues told Kulikov. “No one had any docs.”
Kulikov told ASTRA that he had repeatedly appealed to the prosecutor’s office and the Investigative Committee, tried to get transferred to another unit, and wrote in the media. “No one got in touch. There are unsubscriptions everywhere. And I’m in trouble again. Now it’s either prison or back there to be reset.”
Kulikov has five minor under his care: 14, 12, 5 and 1.7 years old, as well as an eight-year-old ward. His wife is on the 18th week of pregnancy.
