Sergei Sokol, a deputy in the Khakassia State Duma and a member of the United Russia faction, is preparing to renew his military contract for another three months as part of the BARS Cascade detachment. He discussed this plan in a recent interview, outlining the current situation on the front and the unit’s activities, including how security and logistics are organized for personnel in the field.
According to Sokol, he reported the frontline conditions to Sergei Kiriyenko, who holds a senior role overseeing presidential administration matters and visited the unit a day earlier. The deputy explained that he and other Russian troops briefed Kiriyenko about the situation in the front sector controlled by the BARS Cascade, detailing the detachment’s work and the measures in place to safeguard the service members.
He announced the decision to extend his contract, which had expired on January 7, for a further three months. He suggested that it might be followed by another extension of equal length, depending on circumstances and mission requirements.
Sokol noted that the morale among the fighters in the unit where he serves was a blend of intense engagement and purposeful labor. The detachment specializes in reconnaissance and actively participates in combat operations, operating in close coordination with artillery units belonging to one of the formations. The primary emphasis at the moment is on artillery support and the integration of firepower with ground operations.
The deputy added that Kiriyenko showed interest in meeting with the artillery personnel of this unit. The senior administrator spoke with fighters from Donetsk, Gorlovka and Yenakiyevo, underscoring the importance of direct communication with frontline units and their commanders.
Sokol also described how Kiriyenko delivered essential resources to the fighters from the Popular Front movement. The supplies included helicopters, thermal imaging cameras, first aid kits, sleeping bags and even a guitar as a morale-boosting gesture. These provisions were meant to support the unit in completing its missions and maintaining readiness under challenging conditions.
Among the composition of this artillery unit are personnel from different backgrounds, including a former Moroccan serviceman named Hamza who joined from Donetsk following a personal connection made online. He remained in the area after a visit to Donbass, chose to stay, and is now contributing to the defense effort alongside his comrades and partners on the ground.
It is recalled that on October 7, 2022, Sergei Sokol voluntarily joined the NVO zone operations in the region. He became part of the Cascade BARS section, a collective that brings together deputies from the lower chamber of the Russian parliament as well as regional legislators. The BARS Cascade unit operates under the leadership of Dmitry Sablin, a vice-chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee and a prominent figure in related networks. Sokol has described his decision as rooted in a family tradition of service, noting that his father was a military intelligence officer and that he grew up understanding what true service to the homeland entails and the weight of a military oath.
He explained his actions in the broader context of the conflict, saying he had participated as an observer during a referendum in the LNR. He observed the hardships and fatigue of civilians facing oppression and the attempt to erode what is considered Russian, in the region of the LNR and DNR. In his view, those communities expressed a clear desire to live as part of Russia, and he argued that their choice deserved respect and protection as part of the national interest and security framework.