Moscow Calling

In 2014-2015, Andrey Kurshin fought against Ukraine on the side of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic under the call sign "Moscow." Over time, he adopted a more moderate position, and after February 24, 2022, he began criticizing the Ministry of Defense and the actions of the Russian army, including for the civilian casualties. Kurshin wrote about the war on his Telegram channel, Moscow Calling. His posts caused a strong backlash in pro-Z channels, and he faced denunciations and threats of physical harm. On August 31, 2023, Kurshin was detained at Moscow's Leningradsky railway station, accused of spreading "fake news" about the Russian army. On August 7, a court in Moscow sentenced Kurshin to 6.5 years in a general-regime penal colony.

After the sentencing, when he was already in custody, Kurshin told journalists that he was now "considering the possibility" of returning to the front if he could find a "suitable position" aligned with his experience. In its documentary, Mediazona recounts the story of Andrey Kurshin, who spent half of the last year and a half under house arrest.