4.  The applicant was born in 1959 and lives in Krasnoznamensk, a town in the Moscow Region. 5.  At the material time the applicant was a lieutenant colonel of Space Forces. After 22 years of service, he was due to retire on reaching the age limit in August 2004. Under domestic law, long-serving servicemen in need of better housing (the applicant met this condition) could be discharged against their will only if the command provided them with such housing. When preparing his discharge, the applicant insisted that the command provide him with a flat and did not agree to be discharged “flatless” (бесквартирным). 6.  As the flat had not been provided in time, the applicant sued his command. On 25 February 2005 the Krasnoznamensk Garrison Military Court ordered the command to provide the applicant with housing at his place of service and, once this done, to discharge him. This judgment became binding on 10 March 2005 but was not enforced immediately. 7.  In February 2006 the applicant was offered a flat in Bolshie Vyazyomy, a village 3.5 km away from Krasnoznamensk. The applicant refused this offer, insisting that the flat should be located in Krasnoznamensk itself. 8.  On 15 June 2007 the applicant received a flat in Krasnoznamensk. He was discharged later the same year.