After the collapse of the USSR, Azerbaijan is hastily forming its own army. There is a catastrophic shortage of military specialists. Azerbaijani militias treacherously capture two Russian officers and, resorting to blackmail and torture, force them to become instructors. As soon as possible, the prisoners must prepare a battalion to fight the Armenian units. But the officers do not compromise with their conscience and, having started training, do not give up hope of escaping from the clutches of the enemy.