This TV series is about the Soviet Army and the battalions made up of many kind of prisoners, hoping to be "rehabilitated" from their "crimes". "Shtrafbats" were made up of deserters, political prisoners and soldiers who had returned from German captivity. Because of that the possibility that they wouldn't fight well was very high. These "Shtrafbats" were followed into battle by troops who were called "Zagrad-Otryad", and were under the control of the NKVD. Sometimes these troops were almost as large as the actually fighting units they blocked. They were under orders to shoot any Soviet soldiers who were thought to be retreating, be they wounded or not. "Shtrafbat" soldiers who lived through it for some months, were considered rehabilitated and returned to regular army units.