Russia's war in Ukraine had been going on for about a year when Evan Gershkovich arrived in Yekaterinburg, in the foothills of the Ural Mountains, on March 29, 2023. He was there to research a story about the infamous Wagner Group and their recruitment methods — and potentially to find out what Russians think about the mercenary fighting unit.

Yekaterinburg is also the headquarters of Uralvagonzavod, a large Russian defense company that, among other things, makes tanks for use in Ukraine. Could this have been the reason for Gershkovich being there, of all places, some 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) east of Moscow? The answer is unclear. What is clear, however, is that visiting the city will seal his fate.

Russian security forces detained Gershkovich and accused him of spying for the US. More specifically, they alleged he had been sent by the CIA to gather confidential information about the manufacturing and repair of military equipment. The arrest marks the first time since the end of the Cold War that Russia has detained a US journalist.

Gershkovich was transferred to the infamous Lefortovo prison in Moscow. Formerly a torture facility for the Soviet security agency KGB, today it serves as a pretrial detention center. He has been held there ever since his arrest. Only now, nearly 15 months after he was first detained, is his closed-door........

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