A sweat soldier told the Ukrainian network Medina that there are a large number of unofficial prisons like this across Ukraine, called "pits", especially in frontline cities. According to him, they keep AWOL soldiers and anyone who drinks, refuses an order or falls out of favor with a commander: "A person in one has no value at all. They can be beaten and abused. Those fit for the job are soon sent to the front line as penal "diggers", doing the most difficult and dangerous work under constant drone attacks for 30 to 45 days. "Of course not everyone survives," he says.

A sweat soldier told the Ukrainian network Medina that there are a large number of unofficial prisons like this across Ukraine, called "pits", especially in frontline cities. According to him, they keep AWOL soldiers and anyone who drinks, refuses an order or falls out of favor with a commander: "A person in one has no value at all. They can be beaten and abused. Those fit for the job are soon sent to the front line as penal "diggers", doing the most difficult and dangerous work under constant drone attacks for 30 to 45 days. "Of course not everyone survives," he says.